Atlético Madrid claimed their first win of the 2024/25 La Liga season with a commanding 3-0 triumph over Girona at the Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano.Following a summer transfer window where they invested nearly €200 million, Atlético are aiming to close the gap on Real Madrid and Barcelona at the top of the league. However, a 2-2 draw with Villarreal in their opening match indicated there’s still work to be done. Against Girona, two of the new signings, Robin Le Normand and Julián Álvarez, were given starting roles, while Conor Gallagher and Alexander Sorloth started on the bench. Álvarez registered the home side’s first attempt, though his shot was off-target, sailing wide of Paulo Gazzaniga’s post.It was Mbappe’s Bernabeu debut but Endrick stole the showThe first half saw few clear chances, but Atlético were the more dangerous side. Samuel Lino forced Gazzaniga into two saves, and Pablo Barrios sent a shot off-target. Girona managed to keep Atlético at bay for most of the half, but that changed just before the break. Le Normand launched a long ball that should have been easily dealt with, but Gazzaniga, under pressure from Álvarez, handled the ball outside the box. Surprisingly, referee Luca Zufferli only issued a yellow card to the goalkeeper, but Antoine Griezmann quickly made Girona pay, curling the subsequent free-kick into the bottom corner.Girona’s summer was marked more by key departures than new signings, losing players like Savinho, Aleix García, and Artem Dovbyk. Despite this, new striker Abel Ruiz posed a threat before halftime, forcing Jan Oblak into action twice. But Atlético doubled their lead shortly after the restart. Gazzaniga, already under scrutiny, failed to stop Marcos Llorente’s powerful shot from outside the area, even though it was struck directly at him.From that point, Girona dominated possession, but Diego Simeone introduced Gallagher to help maintain control. Girona struggled to create significant chances, with Oblak easily handling a shot from Bojan Miovski. True to Simeone’s style, Atlético expertly managed their lead and capped off the night with a third goal, as Koke finished a swift counterattack in injury time. The clean sheet was Atlético’s first in seven home matches, providing an additional boost. Meanwhile, Girona, still reeling from their summer departures, find themselves with just one point from two games, having scored only once this season, making it a tough start as they aim to replicate last season’s Champions League qualification.LA LIGA – MATCHDAY 2FridayCelta – Valencia 3-1 (2-1)/Mingueza 23, Aspas 28, Beltran 60 – Lopez 14/Sevilla- Villareal 1-2 (1-1)/Lukebakio 45 – Danjuma 2, Perez 90+5/SaturdayOsasuna – Mallorca 1-0 (0-0)/Garcia Ru. 55/Barcelona – Ath.Bilbao 2-1 (1-1)/Yamal 24, Lewandowski 75 – Sancet 42 pen/Espanyol – Sociedad 0-1 (0-0)/Kubo 80/Getafe- Rayo Vallecano 0-0SundayReal Madrid – Valladolid 3-0 (0-0)/Valverde 50, Diaz 88, Endrick 90+6/Leganes – Las Palmas 2-1 (0-0)/Cruz 71, Franquesa 84 – Ramirez 90+3/Alaves – Betis 0-0Atl.Madrid- Girona 3-0 (1-0)/Griezmann 40, Llorente 48, Koke 94/
