Atletico Madrid's Dominant 4-0 Victory Over Osasuna

Atletico made a statement. Not a cautious one, not a narrow one – a 4-0 hammering of Osasuna at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano that sounded like a title contender clearing its throat in late September.

Diego Simeone’s team pressed high, attacked with conviction and never really let up. By the final whistle, the only surprise was that the margin wasn’t even greater.

David announces himself – again

The night belonged to David.

He struck first in the 24th minute, a clean finish that settled any early nerves and set the tone. One chance, one goal. The stadium roared; Atletico had their lead and their new forward had his moment.

It was more than just an opener. With that strike, David became the first Atletico player in the 21st century to score in each of his first two La Liga matches. A quirky statistic on paper, a powerful signal on the pitch: this is a signing already shaping the attack.

And he wasn’t done.

After the break, with Osasuna chasing and spaces finally opening up, David dropped deeper, turned creator and picked the lock again. His incisive pass sliced through the visitors’ back line, and Lee Kang-in did the rest nine minutes into the second half, finishing coolly to make it 2-0. One goal, one assist, and the game effectively put to bed.

Floodgates open

Once the second went in, Atletico smelled blood.

Osasuna, already wobbling, started to unravel. The visitors sat 13th in the table before kick-off and played like a side short on belief and shorter still on defensive organisation. They allowed wave after wave of red-and-white attacks, and the punishment was inevitable.

Robin Le Normand made it three in the 63rd minute, turning a dominant performance into a rout. Any faint notion of an Osasuna fightback disappeared with that goal. The contest became a training-ground exercise in game management for Simeone’s side.

Alex Baena then added the gloss in the 82nd minute, capping a relentless attacking display. Four goals, four different scorers involved in the key moments, and a home crowd that stayed on its feet until the end.

Osasuna trudged off with a heavy defeat and just seven points from their opening six matches, their defensive collapse in the capital leaving serious questions for the weeks ahead.

Winning big without Julian Alvarez

All of this came without Julian Alvarez.

The Argentine forward didn’t even make the matchday squad, still working his way back from a muscle problem that has stalled his start to the season. Simeone had already flagged the issue in his pre-match press conference, a reminder that even Atletico’s attacking depth has limits.

On this evidence, those limits are still some distance away.

David’s explosion, Lee Kang-in’s sharpness, and the contributions from deeper positions underlined the breadth of options at Simeone’s disposal. Atletico didn’t just cope without Alvarez; they cruised.

Title race tension builds

The table now reflects the performance.

Atletico climb to 13 points from six matches, sitting comfortably in third. The gap to Real Madrid and leaders Barcelona stands at just two points. Early days, yes, but this looked and felt like a team ready to live in that conversation all season.

And the timing could hardly be more dramatic.

Next up at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano: Real Madrid. A Madrid Derby with real weight, arriving just as Atletico hit stride. Simeone’s men know exactly what is at stake – a chance not only to derail their neighbours but to leapfrog them in the standings and send a shockwave through the title race.

Osasuna, meanwhile, head home to host Rayo Vallecano, needing a response and some defensive order after being torn apart in the capital.

Atletico walk into derby week with four goals in the bank, a new hero up front, and the sense that something is building. The question now is simple: can they turn this kind of ruthless home performance into a season-long habit at the very moment Madrid come calling?