89th-minute Baena goal lifts Atletico past Espanyol 1-0
The result moves Atletico to second with 22 points, two behind Barcelona at the top of the LaLiga table.
Atletico Madrid earned a dramatic 1-0 win over Espanyol on the ninth matchday of LaLiga at RCDE Stadium on Saturday, thanks to an Alex Baena goal in the 89th minute. The victory lifted Diego Simeone's side to second place in the standings with 22 points, while Espanyol remained 12th with eight points. The match was tight from the start. Espanyol threatened through Leandro Cabrera, who hit the crossbar in the first half, before Atletico replied with a Marcos Llorente shot that also struck the woodwork after the break. The decisive goal came near the end when Julian Alvarez laid the ball off to Baena outside the penalty area, and the midfielder fired an accurate shot past Angel Fortuno. Jan Oblak then preserved Atletico's lead until the final whistle.