'A historic debut': Lee Kang-in explodes with Atletico's first goal → decisive winning goal 'hero ascends'... 2-0 complete victory over Malaga

*This content was translated by AI.

Could there be a more perfect debut? Lee Kang-in (25) became the hero of his team by scoring a fantastic opening and winning goal in Atletico Madrid's first official match.

Atletico Madrid secured a 2-0 complete victory over Malaga in the opening match of the 2026–2027 La Liga Round 1, held at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, on the morning of the 20th (Korean time).

On this day, Lee Kang-in started from the bench and scored the winning goal in the 25th minute of the second half, leading Atletico to a scoreless victory. Atletico, which had been struggling with a frustrating flow of play, saw its offense come alive after Lee Kang-in was substituted in, securing three points in the La Liga home opener.

The home team Atletico deployed Ademola Lookman at the front. The midfield consisted of Arnau Ortiz, Rodrigo Mendoza, Pablo Barrios, and Koke. The defense was handled by Dani Martinez, David Hancko, Robin Le Normand, Jorge Dominguez, and Carlos Martin, while Jan Oblak guarded the goal. Lee Kang-in was named on the substitute bench and started from there.

The first half flowed with a somewhat frustrating rhythm. Atletico failed to establish clear dominance over Malaga in terms of ball possession and adopted a cautious approach, deploying five players behind the defense at times.

Both Malaga and Atletico struggled to exploit each other's narrow defensive gaps. Ultimately, neither team created decisive chances, and the first half ended 0-0.

Coach Simeone made changes immediately after the start of the second half, bringing on Marcos Llorente for Dominguez. Then, in the 13th minute of the second half, he introduced Lee Kang-in along with Julian Simeone and Alex Baena simultaneously, pulling Martin, Mendoza, and Ortiz back to the bench to make a decisive move. Malaga also countered with two substitutions.

Substituted Lee Kang-in showcased a perfect performance, instantly changing the frustrating flow of the game. In the 25th minute of the second half, Lee Kang-in shook the opposing defense with exquisite dribbling and perfectly pierced the upper corner of Malaga's left goal with a sharp curling shot from his left foot. Atletico took the lead thanks to Lee Kang-in's priceless debut goal.

Even after the opening goal, Lee Kang-in's feet did not stop. In the 29th minute of the second half, a sharp pass from Lee Kang-in sliced through Malaga's defense, and Lookman connected with a shot in front of the goal, but it was saved by the goalkeeper.

Momentum shifted to Atletico, which extended its lead in the 40th minute of the second half with a third goal from Baena. In a free-kick situation, Baena, who had been waiting as a kicker alongside Lee Kang-in, attempted a right-footed shot; the ball followed a sharp trajectory, struck the crossbar, and was sucked into the goal.

Lee Kang-in displayed flawless skill until the final moments of the match. In the 43rd minute of the second half, he used smooth upper-body feints and an incredible escape from pressure to draw a foul and a yellow card from the opponent.

Six minutes of added time were given in the second half. No additional goals were scored. Atletico capped off its opening match with a 2-0 complete victory, led by Lee Kang-in's opening and winning goal.

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*This content was translated by AI.