Atlético Madrid suffered their first defeat of the season after falling 3–0 to Athletic Bilbao at San Mamés in Matchday 4 of La Liga. The match marked the return of Julián Álvarez following the closure of the transfer window and his confirmed stay with the Colchoneros.
The first half ended goalless despite a promising start from Atlético, which saw Lee Kang-in hit the post and Pablo Barrios test Unai Simón, before the dynamic shifted dramatically at the start of the second half.
Bilbao needed just three minutes after the restart to seize control of the tie. Nico Williams opened the scoring in the 46th minute, followed quickly by Robert Navarro’s strike in the 48th minute, before Oihan Sancet sealed the 3–0 victory in the 89th minute.
The result marks Athletic Bilbao’s largest La Liga victory over Atlético Madrid since January 2013, when they secured a win by the same scoreline at San Mamés under Marcelo Bielsa. It was also the first time Bilbao scored twice within the opening three minutes of a second half in La Liga history.
Conversely, Atlético suffered an unprecedented setback in their top-flight history, conceding twice in the opening three minutes of the second period for the first time. In response, Diego Simeone made a quadruple substitution in the 58th minute, introducing Álvarez alongside three others.
Making his first appearance since the transfer window closed, “El Araña” recorded Atlético’s most dangerous second-half effort with a left-footed strike saved by Unai Simón. However, he was unable to spark a comeback, leaving Atlético frozen on seven points from four matches (W2 D1 L1).
Álvarez’s return follows a turbulent summer transfer saga involving interest from Barcelona. Atlético rejected a €100 million offer structured across six installments, holding firm to their €150 million valuation before closing the door on a move. The forward remains under contract until 2030 with a €500 million release clause.
The Argentine’s relationship with the Atlético faithful remains fractured after facing heavy jeers against Villarreal and sitting out the Sevilla fixture amid uncertainty over his future. Following the defeat at San Mamés, Simeone’s squad now turns its focus to a challenging UEFA Champions League test against Liverpool at Anfield this coming Wednesday.
The defeat leaves Atlético Madrid temporarily fourth in La Liga with seven points, while Athletic Bilbao climb to seventh on six points. Following their midweek European fixture in Liverpool, Atlético return to domestic action away against Real Sociedad on Sunday, September 13.
