Atlético Madrid remain top of the La Liga table with a 100% record after three games while Real Madrid and Barcelona’s stuttering starts to the season continue. Kieran Quaile, Uttiyo Sarkar and Gerry Johnston help me round up this week’s action, starting with a five goal thriller at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Atlético Madrid 3-2 Eibar
Atlético Madrid maintained their 100 percent start to La Liga on Sunday evening with a 3-2 win over Eibar.
Diego Simeone’s men impressively came back from two nil down and sub Thomas Partey gave them all three points in the 90th minute.
A Charles header and left-footed Anaitz Arbilla strike gave Eibar an early lead at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Joao Felix tucked home on 27 minutes after combining with Diego Costa and then Vitolo hit the equaliser on 52 minutes with a superb finish as the hosts took control. Partey, who was introduced with five minutes to go, battled his way into the area and bundled home from eight yards to win the game for Los Rojiblancos in the 91st minute.
Kieran Quaile
Osasuna 2-2 Barcelona
Barcelona dropped points on the road again as Osasuna stretched their unbeaten run at El Sadar to 23 games.
Roberto Torres gave Osasuna the lead on 7 minutes, volleying home a cross from Brandon, but Barcelona levelled early in the second half with a towering header from 16-year old Ansu Fati, his first goal for the club.
Barca moved in front when Arthur bent a low shot into the corner but a Gerard Pique handball in the box gave the hosts a penalty, which Torres slotted into the corner.
Perez had a late chance to win it, but took too long and the game ended level.
Villarreal 2-2 Real Madrid
Real Madrid played out a thrilling 2-2 draw against Villarreal at the Estadio de la Ceramica in their La Liga fixture on Sunday.
In a new system experimented by Zinedine Zidane, Los Blancos were handed a rude awakening in the 12th minute when Gerard Moreno latched onto Karl Toko Ekambi’s attempt, which had rebounded off Thibaut Courtois, for the opener.
Dani Carvajal’s beautiful one-two handed Gareth Bale the equaliser in added time of the first half, but Moi Gomez put the Yellow Submarine back into the lead finishing from close range in the 74th minute.
However, Bale earned a point by slotting in a powerful shot in the 86th minute, before finishing the game in polarising manner by getting sent off for a second yellow card.
Uttiyo Sarkar
Athletic Club 2-0 Real Sociedad
Athletic Club ended a run of four Basque derbies against La Real without a win by beating their rivals comfortably on Friday night.
They completely bossed the opening half and were rewarded on 11 minutes when Ander Capa squared to Iñaki Williams to leave the forward with an easy tap in to open the scoring. On 28 minutes, the lead was doubled. Iñigo Cordoba found Raul Garcia on the edge of the box and he produced a stunning lob which Miguel Angel Moya really should have dealt with but the goalkeeper could only palm it into the net.
Real Sociedad had a few moments in the game and had a penalty and goal ruled out due to VAR - both correctly so. However, they will be disappointed to lose in the manner they did and it looks like three consecutive away matches to start the season while Anoeta undergoes some work has caught up on them.
Gerry Johnston
Sevilla 1-1 Celta Vigo
Sevilla maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign and for a short spell it even looked like they might keep their 100% record.
The hosts dominated the first half with Luuk de Jong, Joan Jordan and Munir El-Haddadi all going close but they were unable to make the breakthrough. It took until the 81st minute for Sevilla to score when an Ever Banega free-kick was met by the head of Franco Vazquez.
However, the lead was short lived and three minutes later the visitors levelled. Santi Mina played a neat pass to former Sevilla player, Denis Suarez and he finished well to earn his team a share of the spoils.
Gerry Johnston
Real Betis 2-1 Leganes
Real Betis came from behind to pick up their first points of the season against Leganes.
Nabil Fekir hit the outside of the post with a free-kick before Aissa Mandi’s header struck the bar but it was Lega who took the lead early in the second half. Oscar’s shot was saved but Martin Braithwaite was on hand to tap home the rebound.
Betis equalised when Emerson squared for Loren Moron to fire into the roof of the net before Fekir stroked the ball past Ivan Cuellar, after Sergio Canales’ cutback.
The home side hit the post for a third time through Borja Iglesias late on with Joel Robles twice denying Leganes too as Betis picked up the three points.
Valencia 2-0 Mallorca
Dani Parejo scored two penalties either side of half time to give Valencia a 2-0 win over Mallorca on Sunday afternoon.
Lago Junior hit the post for Mallorca with a long-range effort on 22 minutes. The opener for the home side came when Francis Coquelin was fouled in the box and up stepped Parejo to send goalkeeper Manolo Reina the wrong way.
Los Che’s second came after a handball in the box. This time Parejo hit it hard, high and left to double his side’s lead just before the hour mark. The result was Valencia’s first win of the season, while Mallorca remain on three points from their opening three games.
Kieran Quaile
Espanyol 0-3 Granada
Granada recorded their first win of the season in style on Sunday evening, thumping Espanyol 3-0 away from home.
The visitors were clinical in front of goal and opened the scoring on 13 minutes through Antonio Puertas’ tap in from close range. After the break, Carlos Fernandez drove home his team's second of the match after Darwin Machis' shot was saved by Espanyol goalkeeper Diego Lopez.
Machis was instrumental in the third goal too, when he teed up midfielder Ramon Azeez who buried home a superb volley.
Espanyol are winless and goalless after three games, while Diego Martinez's side have scored seven goals in two away games this season, after scoring four in gameweek one away to Villarreal.
Kieran Quaile
Levante 2-0 Real Valladolid
Levante ran out 2-0 winners on Saturday evening at Estadio Ciutat de Valencia, thanks to late goals from Sergio Leon and captain José Morales.
Both sides were evenly matched and had chances throughout to break the deadlock. Ruben Rochina was excellent for the home side and went close on a couple of occasions with long-range efforts.
Ronaldo’s Real Valladolid had several opportunities, including a Sergi Guardiola effort that was ruled out for offside and a free-kick from 20 yards that narrowly went over the crossbar on 71 minutes.
It wasn’t until the 83rd minute when Levante took the lead. Substitute Leon flicked home from six yards after some build-up play down the left-side. On 90 minutes Morales sealed the win at the back post, smashing to the roof of the net after Jordi Masip parried his first effort.
Kieran Quaile
Getafe 1-1 Alaves
The points were shared at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez for the second week in a row with Alaves this time the away side earning a point.
Damian Suarez almost put Getafe in front with his free-kick from wide hitting the crossbar, but it wasn’t long before they did take the lead, Jorge Molina finishing off a pass from Marc Cucurella.
Alaves equalised soon after though when Manu Garcia’s flick came off the crossbar before Joselu forced the ball over the line at the second attempt.
Leandro Cabrera volleyed wide from distance but no-one was able to find a winner late on.