Atlético de Madrid vs Málaga CF

Atl. Madrid opened their La Liga campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win over newly-promoted Malaga at the Metropolitano, though the breakthrough took a while to arrive. The first half produced little in the way of clear chances, with Malaga keeper Herrero doing well to keep things level, including a sharp diving save just before the break. Simeone's second-half changes proved decisive. Kang-in Lee, on for his La Liga debut, broke the deadlock in the 70th minute, and Alex Baena doubled the lead in the 85th with a free-kick that came in off the post. Malaga's best chance came moments earlier when Hancko rattled the crossbar. Several yellow cards were shown throughout, including bookings for Puga and Ramon Enriquez, but no red cards or penalties were involved. For Atl. Madrid, it's the ideal start to the season with fresh legs off the bench making the difference. For Malaga, a spirited display in their return to the top flight ended without reward, but there were signs to build on defensively before their next test.