Espanyol produced a shock on the opening weekend of LaLiga, coming from behind to beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 at the RCDE Stadium and end an eight-match winless run against Diego Simeone’s side.
Atleti’s forward Julián Álvarez looked set to be the difference when he broke the deadlock in the 37th minute, curling a superb free-kick into the top corner beyond Marko Dmitrovic.
The visitors pressed for a second after the break, with Álvarez striking the post, but they were made to pay for their wastefulness.
Espanyol, who had developed a habit of scoring late under Manolo González, levelled on 73 minutes when Miguel Rubio bundled in after a Tyrhys Dolan set-piece caused chaos in the box.
The turnaround was complete five minutes from time as Pere Milla, having moments earlier missed a clear chance, made amends by heading home Omar El Hilali’s cross to spark wild celebrations.
The result gave Espanyol their first LaLiga opening-day win in eight seasons, while for Simeone it marked the first time he has lost a curtain-raiser as Atletico manager.
