Atletico Madrid Dominates Osasuna 4-0 to Keep Pressure on Real and Barça
Atletico didn’t just win; they imposed themselves. Diego Simeone’s side ripped through Osasuna 4-0 at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, a statement victory that keeps them locked into the early Liga title fight and sent their home crowd home buzzing.
David sets the tone – and makes history
The noise had barely settled when David took control of the night.
On 24 minutes, the summer signing struck the opener, a finish that did more than break the deadlock. It set the rhythm. Atletico hunted in packs, pressed high, and every time they broke forward, Osasuna looked a step behind.
That goal also carried a slice of club history. With it, David became the first Atletico player in the 21st century to score in each of his first two La Liga matches for Los Rojiblancos. In a club that has seen its share of star forwards, that is no small feat.
He didn’t stop there.
Kang-in doubles up as Atletico turn the screw
If the first half was about control, the second half was about cruelty.
Nine minutes after the restart, David slipped into creator mode. Spotting the run of Lee Kang-in, he threaded a sharp, incisive pass through Osasuna’s stretched back line. Kang-in stayed ice-cold, finishing cleanly to make it 2-0 and effectively kill any lingering resistance.
The pressure finally told on the visitors. Atletico smelled blood and refused to ease off.
Robin Le Normand climbed in the 63rd minute to add the third, tightening the grip on a game that by then had become a training-ground exercise in dominance. Alex Baena then joined the party on 82 minutes, his late strike completing the rout and turning the closing stages into a celebration.
Osasuna never recovered. They leave the capital stuck in 13th, marooned on seven points from six games and nursing the scars of a defensive collapse.
Star turn in attack – without Julian Alvarez
All of this came with one notable absentee.
Julian Alvarez, the headline forward in Simeone’s squad, did not even make the bench as he continues to shake off a muscle problem that has stalled his start to the campaign. Simeone had already flagged the issue before the match, a small cloud over Atletico’s attacking options.
On this evidence, the squad depth more than held.
David led the line with authority, scoring, assisting, and dictating the tempo of Atletico’s attacks. Kang-in buzzed around him, while Baena and Le Normand added their names to a scoresheet that underlined just how many threats Simeone can call upon.
It was a “without Alvarez, without problems” kind of night.
Title race tightens ahead of Madrid Derby
The win does more than boost confidence. It reshapes the table.
Atletico climb to 13 points from six matches, sitting third and now just two points off both Real Madrid and Barcelona. The gap is small. The margin for error, even smaller.
And now comes the real test.
Next up at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano: Real Madrid. The first Madrid Derby of the season, and already it feels loaded. Beat Los Blancos, and Atletico can leapfrog their neighbours and turn a strong start into a genuine title charge. Slip up, and the early-season chase suddenly looks a lot steeper.
For Simeone, nights like this are the ideal launchpad. Ruthless at home, goals spread across the team, a new forward writing himself into the club’s modern record books – it’s the kind of momentum you want when Real Madrid are next through the tunnel.
Osasuna, meanwhile, head back to home soil with different concerns. Hosting Rayo Vallecano now becomes a test of character as much as quality. After a 4-0 dismantling in the capital, how quickly can they steady themselves before the season’s pressure really starts to bite?
