Baena strike secures win for Atletico over Espanyol
Atletico Madrid claimed a narrow victory against Espanyol in the 9th round of La Liga thanks to a late goal by Baena.
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In the opening match of the 9th round of the Spanish championship, Atletico Madrid secured a hard-fought victory against Espanyol at the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat. Diego Simeone's side dominated the game across most metrics, yet struggled for a long time to break through Espanyol's goalkeeper, Angel Fortuño.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the final minute of regulation time. Following a series of substitutions in the second half, it was Baena who managed to find the net in the 89th minute. This marks his fifth league goal of the current season.
The result keeps Atletico in the hunt for the top spot, remaining two points behind Barcelona, who have a game in hand. Meanwhile, Espanyol's winless streak has now extended to a full month, leaving Manolo González's team in 12th place with eight points.