Lee Kang-in scores on Atletico Madrid debut in 2-0 win
Marked his Atlético Madrid debut with a goal as Diego Simeone’s side beat Málaga 2-0 to open their LaLiga season. Álex Baena also scored, and Simeone praised…
MADRID — Lee Kang-in scored on his Atlético Madrid debut as Diego Simeone’s team beat Málaga 2-0 in their LaLiga opener on Wednesday at the Metropolitano. Álex Baena added a second goal late on, turning a tight match into a comfortable start for Atlético’s season.
The result gave Atlético three points and an immediate lift after a slow first half. The game stayed level until Lee broke through in the 70th minute, then Baena settled it five minutes from time. Simple on the scoreboard. Hard work on the pitch.
Lee Kang-in makes his mark
Lee, a summer signing from Paris Saint-Germain, cut in from the right and curled a left-foot shot inside the far post to open the scoring. It was the moment Atlético had been waiting for after Málaga goalkeeper Alfonso Herrero kept the hosts in check for long stretches.
Before that breakthrough, Atlético had struggled to create clear chances. Herrero saved from Rodrigo Mendoza, while after the break Ademola Lookman tested him and Carlos Martín, Lee and Dávid Hancko all missed the target before the South Korea international finally delivered.
Lee’s goal carried extra weight because it came in his first appearance for the club. He controlled Hancko’s crossfield ball, shimmied past three defenders and finished with composure. That sequence ended Málaga’s resistance and gave Atlético the opening they had chased for most of the night.
Simeone praises both scorers
After the match, Simeone said it would be unfair to pick one out over the other. “It would be unfair to single out Álex or Kang-In. Both were fantastic,” he said. “They were two brilliant goals. We needed them. Málaga played a great game.”
He also described Lee as a player who “has to adapt to the demands of the game” and called him “a committed player to his team.” Those remarks point to the next phase of Atlético’s season: integrating summer arrivals quickly enough to keep pace in the league.
Baena’s goal came five minutes from time after he was brought down by Izan Merino. From just outside the area, he clipped a free kick over the wall and into the top corner. Atlético had finally worn Málaga down, and the finish left no doubt.
For Simeone, there was another message in the win. Asked whether Baena could replace Antoine Griezmann’s influence after the French forward left at the end of last season, he brushed that aside. “I'm not looking for someone like Griezmann. Everyone is different,” Simeone said. “Álex is in a good place right now, you can see he's playing well. We have to take advantage of that energy you get from winning a World Cup.”
The opener may have started slowly, but it ended with two precise finishes and a debut goal that will stay with Lee. Atlético now move forward with three points, a clean sheet and a new attacker who wasted no time making himself heard.
