Atletico Dominates Osasuna as David Makes History
Atletico didn’t just win. They imposed themselves.
Diego Simeone’s side tore through Osasuna 4-0 at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, a statement victory that keeps them locked into the early Liga title fight and sends a clear message to the two giants above them.
The crowd sensed it early. Atletico played with a sharpness and aggression that Osasuna simply couldn’t live with, and it was the new man up front who lit the fuse.
David announces himself
On 24 minutes, David struck. One chance, one ruthless finish, and the tone of the night was set. The summer signing’s goal settled any early nerves and turned the match into a procession of red-and-white attacks.
That strike carried more weight than just the opening lead. With it, David became the first Atletico player in the 21st century to score in each of his first two La Liga appearances for the club. In a stadium that has seen its fair share of strikers, that is no small feat.
He wasn’t done.
After the break, with Osasuna clinging on, David shifted from finisher to creator. He slipped a precise ball through for Lee Kang-in nine minutes into the second half, and the Korean midfielder did the rest, finishing with composure to make it 2-0 and effectively kill the contest.
The pressure had finally told. From that moment, it stopped being a contest and became a showcase.
Goals keep coming
Atletico smelled blood. They kept pushing, kept running, kept forcing mistakes.
Robin Le Normand made it three in the 63rd minute, adding his name to the scoresheet and stretching Osasuna’s defensive line to breaking point. Any faint hope of a late response vanished.
By the 82nd minute, it turned into a rout. Alex Baena struck the fourth, the kind of late goal that doesn’t change the points but changes the mood around a club. Atletico walked off to a roar; Osasuna trudged away, well beaten and stuck in 13th with just seven points from six games.
For Simeone, the most pleasing part will be how complete the performance felt. Four different scorers, a clean sheet, and a front line led by a new signing who looks completely at home.
David steals the spotlight
David’s night will be remembered. A historic milestone, a goal, an assist, and a performance that already has him being spoken of as the new reference point in attack.
His first-half finish laid the platform. His second-half assist to Lee Kang-in underlined his all-round influence. On a pitch full of big names, he was the clear star of the show.
And all of this without one of Atletico’s biggest weapons.
Winning big without Julian Alvarez
Julian Alvarez never even made the squad. The Argentine forward continues to recover from a muscle problem that has stalled his start to the season, and Simeone had already admitted before the match that his fitness remained an issue.
On nights like this, that concern shrinks.
Atletico’s depth stepped forward. They didn’t just cope without Alvarez; they thrived. The attack flowed, the combinations clicked, and the goals were shared around. For a coach who demands intensity from every corner of his squad, it was the ideal response.
Derby on the horizon
The table now reflects Atletico’s surge. Six games in, they sit on 13 points, comfortably third, just two behind Real Madrid and Barcelona.
And now comes the real examination.
Next up at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano: Real Madrid. The Madrid Derby, with the title race already beginning to take shape. Win, and Atletico don’t just close the gap — they can leapfrog their neighbours and drag themselves fully into the centre of the championship conversation.
Lose, and the margin for error shrinks quickly in a season where both Barcelona and Madrid are already setting a fierce pace.
Osasuna left searching for answers
Osasuna, meanwhile, leave the capital with more questions than answers. A heavy defensive collapse, four goals conceded, and little resistance once Atletico turned up the tempo.
They head back home knowing they need a reaction when they host Rayo Vallecano. Another slip, and a season that was supposed to be steady could start to tilt the wrong way.
Atletico, though, walk into derby week with a swagger, a new hero in David, and the sense that something dangerous is building in red and white.
