Atlético beat Athletic but continue to push mental, physical limits

MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 25: Alexander Sorloth of Atletico de Madrid reacts during the Spanish League, LaLiga EA Sports, football match played between Atletico de Madrid and Athletic Club de Bilbao at Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium on April 25, 2026, in Madrid, Spain. (Photo By Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press via Getty Images) | Europa Press via Getty Images Atlético Madrid got back to winning ways in LALIGA — something they’d waited over a month to do — with a 3-2 win over Athletic Club on Saturday night. After a sorry first half which saw Atleti go a goal down, the team showed some signs of life early on in the second; goals from Antoine Griezmann and Alexander Sørloth turned the score in favour of the hosts.

Sørloth then put daylight between Los Rojiblancos and their Basque opponents late on, before Los Leones grabbed an injury-time goal to make the scoreline more respectable. Here are Into the Calderón’s three key takeaways from this match, just four days before Arsenal arrive to the Metropolitano for the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. The return (and loss) of Pablo Barrios We really can’t enjoy anything for long as Atlético fans.

When we beat FC Barcelona to progress to the last four of the UCL, we had to deal with a heartbreaking Copa del Rey final loss in the same week. When we won trophies back in Diego Simeone’s early years as manager, we’d have to stomach the loss of the team’s best players weeks afterwards. And now, just when we thought we were being treated to a healthy Pablo Barrios — and after he contributed heavily to his team’s two goals in five minutes — the poor lad was taken off with an injury four minutes after the second went in.

That goal, scored by Sørloth, showed us why Barrios has been missed so much. His care-free cantering with the ball at his feet gives him an aura unlike any other player in red and white when it comes to creating something from midfield. His nonchalant off-load to Álex Baena led to a much-needed assist from the ex-Villarreal man, who teed up his former Yellow Submarine teammate in Sørloth.