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Jan Oblak (GK): 8
Oblak once again had a great game between the sticks. He made a great reaction save on Borja Bastón late in the first half which could have easily made the game 1-0 in Málaga’s favor. When the game slowed down toward the end and he got some touches on the ball, Oblak was effective and smart making the right passes and not mistakes. He also made an outstanding stop on a Diego Rolan rasper in the 90th minute.
Juanfran (RB): 7
Definitely an improvement from last week. Juanfran did pick up a yellow card in the 76th minute, but other than that he had a very decent game. He made smart decisions on the ball and did not force passes. The simple plays that he made were the right ones in the back and in the attack.
Diego Godín (CB): 8.5
Man, did we miss Godín. The pharaoh looked to be in his prime in this game seemingly doing everything right, making tackles, strong clearances, interceptions — even some attacking runs. It was all there. Also, Godín completed an superb eight out of 10 long passes. The Uruguayan looked right at home in the new Wanda Metropolitano.
Lucas Hernández (CB): 8
The France U21 international played great in his more natural position on Saturday. Lucas next to Godín looks to be a formidable duo. He stopped some early fast breaks and matched Málaga’s attackers with his pace, thus allowing the rest of the team to get back into their defensive shape.
Filipe Luís (LB): 7.5
Filipe Luís controlled the left flank in both attack and defense, as he usually does. He left Málaga defenders guessing as to the timing of his overlapping runs and when he would elect to slow play down, which helped make Atlético Madrid’s attack more fluid and difficult to read.
Saúl Ñíguez (RM): 7
Saúl only had one shot on target, but he had another strong game defensively. He completed 87 percent of his passes and made three tackles in his less-familiar wide role. The canterano did well to adapt and had a good game all around.
Thomas Partey (CM): 6
Thomas only played the first half, as Yannick Carrasco replaced him at halftime to add more width. The Ghanaian still played a decent game, making some nice passes and dutifully tracking his Málaga counterparts.
Gabi (CM): 7
The captain was back in central midfield this week and led the team with a whopping 116 touches. He completed 90 percent of his 96 passes and looked every bit the midfield general we expect him to be.
Koke (LM): 6
A quiet game from Koke. He did not have much impact in the game and looked frustrated at points. He had one shot on target that really should have been a goal and made four key passes.
Ángel Correa (ST): 7.5
Correa played an outstanding 65 minutes. His super close control and resolve to take on every defender in front of him crafted several openings, and he laid on the assist for Griezmann’s winner. The Argentine is off to a flyer this season.
Antoine Griezmann (ST): 8.5
It just had to be him. Griezmann scored his first of the season and the first at the Wanda Metropolitano slotting in Correa’s cross with his right foot. He only had one shot on target, which was the goal, but he did some things that the stats do not show. Griezmann did extremely well to pull defenders up and down the pitch with his movement off the ball, and he did well to track back on defense. Great to see him back from suspension.
Subs
Yannick Carrasco (LM): 6.5
Entered for Thomas at halftime. Coming off a poor performance, Carrasco needed to do better, and he did. Simeone put Carrasco in to add more pace up front and after a slow first half. He added flair and width to open up play and even picked up a couple key passes.
Fernando Torres (ST): 6.5
Entered for Correa in the 66th minute. Torres did not have much time to create many chances but did well with his time. He tracked back toward the end to solidify the win and used his height to win some aerial duels.