La Liga: Atletico Madrid clinch season's first victory, beat Girona
Atletico Madrid celebrated their maiden win of the ongoing La Liga season with a resounding 3-0 victory over Girona on August 25. Antoine Griezmann, Marcos Llorente, and Koke were among the goals, as they powered Madrid to win at the Civitas Metropolitano stadium. This win propelled Atletico to four points in the league standings, following their draw against Villarreal in their inaugural match.
A look at match summary
Griezmann drew first blood for Madrid in the 39th minute with a skillful free kick. This opportunity arose after Girona's goalkeeper, Paulo Gazzaniga, received a yellow card. Llorente extended Atletico's lead with a powerful long-range strike, just three minutes into the second half. The victory was sealed by captain Koke, who scored his first goal since the 2021/22 season.
Here's what Griezmann said after the match
Griezmann, who set up Madrid's win, said, "I was waiting to see where the keeper was standing and I saw that there was a little gap at the far post and with a bit of luck it went in." Regarding Llorente's goal, he said, "No matter what position you put him in, he gives 100% and these are the players we need at the club."
Nine free-kicks for Griezmann
Since the 2015/16 season, Atletico de Madrid have scored 10 direct free-kick goals in all competitions. As per Opta, a total of nine such goals have been scored by Griezmann.
