Two goals in the opening three minutes of the second half transformed the match. The result leaves Real two points ahead of Atlético after four LaLiga fixtures, meaning Madrid’s first defeat of the season caused less damage than it initially might have.

ATHLETIC STRIKE TWICE IN TWO MINUTES

Atlético made an encouraging start. Lee Kang-in hit the post after only two minutes, while Pablo Barrios also struck the woodwork before half-time. The visitors created opportunities but failed to turn them into a lead.

The punishment arrived almost immediately after the restart. Just 31 seconds into the second half, Iñaki Williams delivered from the right and Nico Williams headed past Jan Oblak.

Before Atlético could regain their composure, Athletic scored again. Robert Navarro completed a counterattack by cutting inside Alejandro Grimaldo and curling his finish into the net. Only two minutes separated the goals.

SIMEONE’S FOUR CHANGES CANNOT ALTER THE RESULT

Simeone responded in the 58th minute by making four substitutions at once. Julián Álvarez was among those introduced and later forced Unai Simón into a save, but Atlético never produced the sustained pressure required to rescue the match.

The visitors recorded 15 attempts, although Opta calculated their total expected-goals figure at only 0.86. Athletic, meanwhile, combined defensive control with far greater efficiency in front of goal.

Oihan Sancet completed the scoring in the 90th minute following good work from Iñigo Gerenabarrena. It was Atlético’s first league defeat of the season and extended their winless away run against Basque opponents to six LaLiga matches.

REAL RETAIN THEIR TWO-POINT ADVANTAGE

Real Madrid remain on nine points, while Atlético have seven after four games. Madrid’s 1-0 defeat by Betis ended their perfect start, but the three earlier victories provided a cushion that Simeone’s side failed to remove.

At the final whistle in Bilbao, Barcelona led the standings on goal difference with nine points from three matches. Real were second, while Atlético occupied seventh place before the remaining fixtures were played.

Real must still respond to their setback in Seville, but a potentially damaging weekend became considerably less severe. Atlético were given the chance to move ahead of their neighbours and left San Mamés with their heaviest defeat of the campaign.

Barcelona’s second shirt for the 2026/27 season is predominantly black, fading into purple towards the bottom. The colours reference the “Black Mamba” identity associated with the legendary Los Angeles Lakers player. Gold details, an iridescent club crest and the Kobe logo complete the design.

The fabric also includes a subtle snakeskin-inspired pattern. Inside the collar is one of Bryant’s messages: “Leave the game better than you found it.” Barcelona say the design represents determination, ambition and the demand to keep improving.

This is the second season of the club’s collaboration with the Kobe brand. Last year’s gold kit quickly became one of Barcelona’s most recognisable alternative shirts. Gold has now been reduced to the detailing, while black and purple take over the main design.

The shirt was officially presented in July, but the match against Elche will mark its league debut. Curiously, Barcelona have not worn their traditional blue and red colours during a league visit to the Estadio Martínez Valero since the 2021/22 season.

They won there 3–1 last season while using their orange third kit. In 2022/23, Barcelona recorded a 4–0 victory in a yellow shirt featuring four red stripes inspired by the Catalan flag. Trips to Elche are gradually becoming an unofficial exhibition of the club’s alternative wardrobe.

Sunday’s game could also produce several player debuts. João Cancelo has been registered and, according to Flick, is ready to play. Karim Adeyemi and Anthony Gordon could also make their first league appearances for the club. Rodri will remain in Barcelona and is expected to join full team training on Monday.

The starting line-up remains unknown, but the shirt has already secured its place from the first minute. At the current Barcelona, that is a reasonably comfortable position to be in.

Elche host Barcelona at the Estadio Martínez Valero on Sunday, 23 August, with kick-off scheduled for 9:30pm CEST. Movistar LaLiga will broadcast the match in Spain, while international availability depends on the country.

It’s only a statistical model, of course, but those numbers should make for pleasant reading in Barcelona. Atlético Madrid sit miles behind at just 8.6%, while Opta gives Barça a 92% chance of qualifying for the Champions League. The players haven’t even had time to properly dirty their new shirts and the computer is already handing them the trophy.

There is one inconvenient detail: the other 54.4% of simulations. Football still insists on making everyone play 38 matches, and Mourinho’s Real Madrid probably won’t concede the title because an algorithm told them to. Barça start as the computer’s favourites. Now comes the slightly more difficult task — becoming champions outside Opta’s servers.