Sevilla 1-3 Atletico Madrid: Baena at the double as Simeone's men overcome Alvarez absence

Three first-half goals – including two from Alex Baena – guided Atletico Madrid to a 3-1 win over Sevilla at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, taking them top of LaLiga. 

Diego Simeone's side are at the summit of the early-season table after they ended Sevilla's perfect start to 2026-27, with Baena joined on the scoresheet by Ademola Lookman as Atleti stormed into a 3-0 lead within the first 33 minutes.

Los Colchoneros, who were without wantaway striker Julian Alvarez amid continued interest from Barcelona, had to hold off a second-half fightback attempt from Sevilla, but Miguel Sierra's goal was the sum of the hosts' efforts.

Only four minutes were on the clock when Atleti went ahead through Baena, who stayed onside to latch onto Lee Kang-in's through-ball and finish across goal.

Robbie Ure almost equalised immediately, but the visitors doubled their advantage in the 25th minute as Lookman drove a clever effort inside the near post with minimal backlift, following Pablo Barrios' marauding run through the centre.

Baena's second – a ferocious strike across goal from near the right corner of the area – followed soon afterwards, though Atleti needed a series of good saves from Jan Oblak to preserve their clean sheet until half-time.

Lookman had a potential second goal of his own disallowed for offside before Sierra's left-footed volley skipped up off the turf and into the top-left corner, giving Sevilla hope of a recovery.

But they were unable to get any closer to Atleti, struggling to make any attacking headway after Kike Salas saw an appeal for a penalty against Morten Hjulmand waved away.

No Alvarez, no problem as Baena steps up

Atleti continue to insist Alvarez will not be sold to Barcelona, with the Argentina forward sitting out training this week as he pushes for a move to Catalonia in the final days of the transfer window.

But the absence of their 20-goal marksman from last season – who was booed by his own fans following last week's 2-2 draw with Villarreal – was hardly noticed as Baena picked up the mantle.

The attacking midfielder – who started seven of eight games during Spain's triumphant World Cup run – scored his first LaLiga brace since May 2023, when he was still at Villarreal.

And, having scored in Atleti's season opener in LaLiga before assisting on matchday two, he is the first player to register a direct goal involvement in each of Los Colchoneros' first three games of a campaign since Angel Correa in 2021-22.

Sevilla ultimately out-shot Atleti by 21 to 12 and generated 0.95 expected goals (xG) to their opponents' 0.93, but the sheer quality of the visitors' first-half finishing put them in a commanding position which they would not surrender.