Alejandro Grimaldo opened the scoring on 36 minutes with a precise left-foot finish after a tidy move, giving Atlético a 1-0 halftime lead. Up to the break, Atlético held 65% possession and turned limited volume into better shot quality. Levante did carve out a big chance before halftime but could not convert. At the other end, Jan Oblak made two first-half saves to preserve the lead. The margin felt slim, yet justified by the visitors’ cleaner execution in the final third.

The second half swung territorially toward Levante, who took 57% possession and fired 14 shots. Still, Atlético struck again at 62 minutes, when Giuliano Simeone guided in a left-foot finish from an Alex Baena assist. Kang-in Lee also clipped the woodwork, a reminder of Atlético’s threat on transitions. Levante’s late pressure delivered corners and crosses but not the final touch. The visitors shut the door with well-timed tackles and a flurry of clearances to see out a composed away win.

Atléticos control of both boxes

This result was built on efficiency and penalty-area control. Atlético finished with 11 shots to Levante’s 20, yet produced 5 on target and a superior expected goals on target figure of 1.33. They scored both of their big chances, a stark contrast to the hosts’ 0 of 1. The back line stacked up 37 clearances, turning danger into distance, and their block timing was excellent. Oblak’s four saves, including one big stop, added 0.33 goals prevented to the metric column.

In front of him, Marcos Llorente and Dávid Hancko set a physical tone, combining assertive defending with clean distribution. Llorente won 3 of 5 tackles and completed 65 of 72 passes, leading the team with 100 touches. Hancko matched the aerial traffic with 8 clearances and 71 accurate passes from 78 attempts. Marc Pubill chipped in 8 clearances of his own and won both of his tackles. The visitors’ average Sofascore Rating settled at 8.10, well above Levante’s 7.28, which aligns with the way they managed decisive moments.

Levantes volume without reward

Levante out-shot Atlético 20-11 and posted a higher xG at 1.25. The breakdown reveals the gap, though: only 4 of those 20 attempts were on target, with an xGOT of 0.33. The hosts even dominated the penalty area with 30 touches inside the box to Atlético’s 15. Wide delivery was a constant theme, with 30 crosses attempted and 8 finding a target. Set pieces also offered a route back, with 5 corners won and decent territory after the interval.

Yet the key moments went missing. Etta Eyong’s day summed it up, recording 0.711 xG but no goal and one big chance missed. Roger Brugué and Iván Romero forced saves, while late substitutes delivered a stream of balls from wide areas. Adrián de la Fuente fired in 7 crosses, Víctor García added 6 and Marc Santos produced 2 accurate deliveries in a short cameo. Despite 70 final-third entries and a 27% crossing success rate, the final contact never arrived.

Tactical notes and substitutions

Levante lined up in a 4-2-3-1 and leaned into width and volume, especially after halftime. The shape funneled crosses toward crowded zones, which played into Atlético’s strength in the air. Atlético worked from a 4-4-2, alternating between compact mid-blocks and quick release points through Baena and Giuliano. Their timing on the break was clear in both goals, as the visitors converted possession swings into high-value shots. Offside traps also clipped Atlético’s aggression, with 5 offsides, but did little to blunt the scoring.

Changes shaped the rhythm. Atlético introduced Alexander Sørloth and Jonathan David on 67 minutes, then Robin Le Normand and Ademola Lookman on 76 to freshen legs and protect the lead. Levante responded with a triple change at 71 and added Marc Santos late for further wide supply. The second half became a siege in phases, but Atlético’s 29 clearances after the break told the story. It was a clear example of managing momentum without panicking, and funneling bodies into the most dangerous spaces.

MVP: Alejandro Grimaldo

Alejandro Grimaldo earned the spotlight with a Sofascore Rating 8 and the opener that tilted the match. He finished with 2 shots on target and 1 goal from 2 total attempts. On the ball he was near faultless, completing 51 of 55 passes and touching the ball 69 times. His expected goals on target reached 0.711, while expected assists landed at 0.296 despite none officially recorded. He also contributed 3 clearances, underlining how often he influenced play at both ends.

Beyond the headline numbers, his positioning and timing repeatedly put Atlético on the front foot. He balanced forward runs with good recovery, and his decision-making minimized risk in a game where margins mattered. Around him, Llorente’s 7.9, Hancko’s 7.8 and Giuliano Simeone’s 7.7 reinforced Atlético’s spine. Jan Oblak’s 7.4 reflected solid goalkeeping on a day that demanded concentration. Alex Baena’s 7.6 and clever assist for 2-0 completed a polished away performance.