Alex Baena inspires Atletico Madrid victory over Sevilla in Alvarez absence

Atletico Madrid returned to winning ways in La Liga with a 3-1 victory over Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan on Saturday, a result that moved Diego Simeone’s side temporarily to the top of the table.

The visitors made the ideal start when Alex Baena opened the scoring after only four minutes. Atletico established control early on and continued to threaten the Sevilla defence as they looked to build on their strong opening to the campaign.

Their advantage was doubled in the 26th minute, when Ademola Lookman found the net to give Atletico a 2-0 lead. Sevilla were unable to halt the visitors’ momentum, and Baena struck again seven minutes later to complete his personal double and put Atletico three goals ahead.

Sevilla did manage to reduce the deficit after the interval. Miguel Sierra scored the home side’s only goal in the 66th minute, but Atletico held on to secure a convincing away win and end their recent spell without victory in the league.

The three points took Atletico Madrid to seven points from their opening matches, leaving them provisionally top of La Liga. Sevilla remained on six points and occupied fifth place in the standings.

The match was played without Julian Alvarez, who was not included after missing Atletico’s training sessions. His absence comes amid uncertainty over his future, with the Argentina forward reportedly wanting to leave for Barcelona. Atletico Madrid, however, are refusing to negotiate with the Catalan club over a possible transfer.

Despite Alvarez’s absence, Atletico produced a decisive attacking display, with Baena’s two goals and Lookman’s contribution giving them a comfortable advantage before Sevilla’s second-half response. The result also ensured the Madrid club recovered from their previous league draw.

Atletico had begun their La Liga campaign with a 2-0 win over Malaga before drawing 2-2 with Villarreal. Their victory in Seville restored their winning momentum and placed them at the summit, although their position remained temporary at the time of the final whistle.

For Sevilla, the defeat represented a setback after collecting six points from their opening fixtures. They could not recover from the early goals and were unable to find a second goal after Sierra’s effort gave them hope in the closing stages.

Baena’s performance was the defining feature of the contest. His first goal arrived inside the opening four minutes, while his second completed Atletico’s third goal before half-time and gave the visitors the platform to manage the remainder of the match. Lookman’s strike between the two goals further underlined Atletico’s dominance during the first half.

With Alvarez’s future still unresolved, Atletico will take confidence from a result that lifted them above their early-season rivals, while Sevilla must respond after suffering their first significant setback of the campaign.