Atletico Madrid Held to 1-1 Draw by Elche in Disappointing Home Opener

Atletico Madrid Held to 1-1 Draw by Elche in Disappointing Home Opener1

Atletico Madrid's struggles to start the 2025-2026 La Liga season continued on Saturday, August 23, 2025, as they were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by newly promoted Elche at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.2 The result leaves Diego Simeone's side with just one point from their first two matches, following a surprising 2-1 loss to Espanyol in their season opener.3

Atletico appeared to be on course for a comfortable victory when Alexander Sørloth opened the scoring just eight minutes into the match, converting a precise pass from David Hancko.4 However, their lead was short-lived. Elche, showing early resilience in their return to the top flight, quickly responded. In the 15th minute, a swift counterattack culminated in a goal from Rafa Mir, who leveled the score.5

For the remainder of the match, Elche's defense held firm, frustrating the home team and preventing them from finding a winner.6 Atletico pushed for a second goal, with Giuliano Simeone hitting the post before halftime, but they were unable to break the deadlock.7

The draw marks a disappointing start for an Atletico side that had high hopes of challenging for the league title after a summer of squad rebuilding. Elche, on the other hand, will be pleased with their performance, securing their second consecutive draw and showing they can compete at this level.