​MADRID, SPAIN – AUGUST 19: Kang-in Lee of Atletico de Madrid celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal during the Spanish League, LaLiga EA Sports, football match played between Atletico de Madrid and Malaga CF at Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium on August 19, 2026, in Madrid, Spain. (Photo By Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press via Getty Images) | Europa Press via Getty Images Atlético Madrid’s season opener against newly-promoted Málaga started slowly, as neither team truly troubled the other from goal. Atleti found itself frustrated with Málaga’s low block and, with a neutralized attack, struggled to change gears. The game saw many of Atleti’s teenage prospects feature as the stars work to regain their fitness after the World Cup break.The game opened up with the substitutions of Lee Kang-in and Álex Baena. Making his competitive debut, Kang-in opened the scoring in the 70th minute after cutting inside and curling his shot into the top right corner. Baena killed the game off with an impressive free-kick that ricocheted off the bottom of the crossbar and past the goal line, securing all three points for Los Colchoneros.Player RatingsOblakMade an impressive double save to deny Málaga just before halftime, although the whole sequence was ruled offside. Oblak didn’t have to do much to maintain his clean sheet, as Málaga’s sole shot on target came in the 92nd minute. 7MartinezDani Martínez made only his second competitive appearance for the first team, and he did pretty well with this new opportunity. Normally a center-back, he demonstrated an aggressive mentality and sent several crosses down the left flank. He completed four dribbles and was a headache to defend out wide. An encouraging start for the 22-year-old. 7HanckoStarted the game with a clumsy foul on Málaga full-back Carlos Puga, earning him a yellow card. Despite that, he had a pretty solid game at the back. He was very active defensively and distributed the ball well, including on the switch of play for Kang-in’s goal. His header off a corner in the 75th minute clanged off the bar. 7.5Le NormandNot a bad 90 minutes for the center-back. He looked a bit shakier defending Málaga’s attack, especially in the first half, but he still banged out eight clearances and was dominant in the air. 6.5DomínguezShaky on defense. His tactical foul on Joaquín in the 37th minute earned him a yellow card, and he very well could have earned a red during stoppage time in the first half. Sometimes, he looked a bit outmatched when pairing up with Màlaga’s more senior attackers. Dominguez finished with 13 completed passes and two tackles; he was hooked after halftime for Marcos Llorente. 4MendozaForced a solid save out of Alfonso Herrero in the 57th minute after Pablo Barrios picked him out in the center of the box. He was pretty active on the right-hand side, completing a couple dribbles and pressuring Málaga’s backline out of possession. He wasn’t a game-changer, but Wednesday’