Alejandro Grimaldo opened the scoring, Atletico Madrid won a decisive victory over Alaves with Cristian Romero’s 87th-minute header.
2026/2027 La Liga
1-2
Match Report:
Atlético Madrid left Vitoria-Gasteiz with a 2-1 win over Deportivo Alavés in LaLiga, decided by Cristian Romero’s 87th-minute header. Alejandro Grimaldo opened the scoring, Lucas Boyé converted a penalty on half-time, and a second-half red card for the hosts tilted the flow. The numbers back it up, with Atlético on top in possession, shots and xG, especially after the dismissal.
Diego Simeone’s side finished with 68% possession and 710 passes to Alavés’s 339. They attempted 21 shots to 8 and produced 2.17 expected goals against 1.09. Seven efforts hit the target, while the hosts managed three. The territorial edge showed in 33 touches inside the box versus just 7 for Alavés. Set pieces piled up too, with a 10-0 advantage in corners.
Final-third entries ended 75 to 44 and accurate passes 644 to 275. Atlético also posted the better average team Sofascore Rating at 7.70, against 7.02 for the home side. Even in duels the visitors nudged ahead at 51%, helped by winning 12 of 21 aerials. Alavés did out-tackle Atlético 21 to 18 and led interceptions 15 to 12, reflecting their effort without the ball. But as pressure mounted, the decisive moment always felt closer to red and white.
Key moments that shaped the 2-1
Grimaldo struck first on 33 minutes, tucking in after Jonathan David’s pass. Alavés stuck around and earned a penalty deep into added time, which Lucas Boyé buried to level at 1-1. Robin Le Normand was booked earlier and committed the foul that yielded the spot kick. At the break the data was even enough, with Alavés actually leading first-half xG 0.93 to 0.65.
The match flipped on 61 minutes when Ángel Pérez saw red after a VAR upgrade. From there, Atlético owned the second half with 75% possession and a 12-3 shot count. Second-half xG read 1.51 to 0.16, and corners were 8-0. Substitutes added thrust, notably Alex Baena’s delivery and Kang-in Lee’s service from the right. The winner arrived on 87 minutes when Baena’s cross found Cristian Romero, who powered a header past Antonio Sivera. It was a high-value chance too, graded at 0.48 xG and 0.76 xGOT on Sofascore.
How Alavés defended their box
Quique Sánchez Flores set Alavés in a 3-5-2 and his back line worked overtime. They posted 18 clearances to 9 and 15 interceptions to 12. Ground duels were split almost evenly overall, with Alavés at 41 wins from 82 attempts. They also completed 21 total tackles to Atlético’s 18.
Goalkeeper Antonio Sivera made five saves, two high claims and two punches, but the model shows -0.66 goals prevented on the night. That reflects how the better chances fell the other way, particularly after the red card. Nahuel Tenaglia stood out for the hosts with 5 tackles won from 6 and eight duels won, earning a 7.2 Sofascore Rating. Denis Suárez tried to carry the ball and create, finishing with two key passes and 0.36 xA. In truth, the lack of corners won and only seven touches in the Atlético box limited Alavés’s path to a second goal.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
4' Highlight from Alaves vs Atletico
6' Highlight from Alaves vs Atletico
14' Match Event for Alaves vs Atletico
19' Match Event for Alaves vs Atletico
27' Match Event for Alaves vs Atletico
33' GOAL! Alaves 0-1 Atletico (Alejandro Grimaldo)
44' Highlight from Alaves vs Atletico
48' Penalty Goal! Alaves 1-1 Atletico (Lucas Boyé)
53' Highlight from Alaves vs Atletico
61' Red Card! Ángel Pérez sent off
75' Highlight from Alaves vs Atletico
84' Match Event for Alaves vs Atletico
87' GOAL! Alaves 1-2 Atletico (Cristian Romero)
Line-ups
Alaves XI: Denis Suarez, Castro, Sivera, A.Martínez, L.Boyé, Nahuel Tenaglia, Antonio Blanco, Pablo Ibáñez, Abde Rebbach, Nicolás Valentini, Ángel Pérez
Subs: Mariano, Alena, Carlos Protesoni, Ander Guevara, Ville Koski, Adrián Rodríguez, Miguel Rodríguez, Hugo Novoa, Aitor Mañas, Youssef Enríquez, Selu Diallo, Xanet Oláiz
Atletico XI: Oblak, Koke, Grimaldo, Llorente, Le Normand, Lookman, Cristian Romero, Jonathan David, Johnny Cardoso, Giuliano Simeone, Barrios
Subs: Sørloth, Musso, Dávid Hancko, Álex Baena, Kang-in Lee, Morten Hjulmand, Alvarez, Arnau Ortiz, Marc Pubill, Dani Martinez, Jorge Castillo, Jorge Domínguez