Atlético Madrid created chances in the first half but failed to score.
After conceding two goals within just 3 minutes of the second half, the momentum of the match shifted completely toward Athletic Club.
Why did Lee Kang-in’s shot off the post and his team’s high possession fail to prevent defeat?
3-Line Summary
1. Athletic defeated Atlético 3-0
2. Consecutive goals came in the 1st and 3rd minutes of the second half
3. The match was decided by concentration in scoring situations more than possession
First-Half Chances Did Not Lead to Goals
At San Mamés in Bilbao, Spain, in the 4th round of the 2026-2027 La Liga season, Athletic Club defeated Atlético Madrid 3-0. Here, Athletic Club was the home team based in Bilbao, while Atlético Madrid was the visiting team led by manager Diego Simeone. The fact that the search term was observed in South Korea does not mean the match was held in South Korea.
Atlético created a decisive chance from the opening stages of the match. Lee Kang-in, making his 3rd consecutive start, contested the ball with a defender on the right side of the penalty area in the 2nd minute of the first half and shot with his right foot, but the ball struck the post and went out. This was the chance closest to an opening goal.
In the 23rd minute of the first half, Alex Baena, receiving Lee Kang-in’s forward pass, took a shot, but it was stopped by a save from goalkeeper Unai Simón. Lee Kang-in also attempted a shot late in the first half. His involvement in the attack was clear, but it did not lead to a goal or assist that changed the result.
According to records reported after the match, Atlético had 61.6% possession, higher than Athletic’s 38.4%, and also had more shots, with 15 compared with 11. However, these figures only indicate that the team had more attacking activity; they do not guarantee an advantage in the contest. Neither side had taken the lead when the first half ended 0-0, but the difference in execution early in the second half left a much greater mark.
The 1st, 3rd, and 45th Minutes of the Second Half
Athletic’s first goal came in the 1st minute of the second half. After Iñaki Williams’s shot, Nico Williams headed in the loose ball. Before Atlético could find time to respond, Athletic scored again 2 minutes later. Robert Navarro, receiving a pass from Iñaki Williams, found the net with a left-footed shot.
Two goals conceded at 2-minute intervals after the start of the second half were Atlético’s most damaging numbers. The opportunities and possession advantage it had created in the first half could not immediately become a basis for recovery after the score reached 0-2. Manager Simeone made several substitutions in the 13th minute of the second half, including Lee Kang-in and Baena. This can be confirmed as the manager’s choice to make changes while trailing, but there is no basis to conclude that the substitutions themselves caused the defeat.
Lee Kang-in was replaced by Julián Álvarez in the 14th minute of the second half, with his team trailing 0-2. Depending on the report, his playing time was described as either 59 minutes or approximately 60 minutes. What is consistently confirmed is that Lee Kang-in was substituted after Atlético conceded consecutive goals early in the second half and that he recorded no attacking points that day.
Athletic added a third goal in the 45th minute of the second half through a right-footed shot by Oihan Sancet. The 3-0 result included a late goal, but the stretch that actually separated the teams came immediately after the start of the second half. More than the fact that Atlético possessed the ball frequently, this matchup was explained by the fact that Athletic finished two consecutive sequences with goals.
7 Points Remained After the First Defeat of the Season
With this defeat, Atlético recorded 2 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss in the league, for 7 points. Several reports described it as the team’s first defeat of the season and its first scoreless match in 4 games. The contrast was also clear: a team that had scored 7 goals in its first 3 league matches of the season failed to score even once this time.
For Lee Kang-in individually, his early shot off the post and the pass he connected to Baena remained notable. Ratings and evaluations from local media are assessments, not results. Some outlets gave Lee Kang-in a relatively favorable evaluation, while other reports said that his presence diminished as time passed. Therefore, rather than summarizing the day as a single success or failure for the individual, it is more accurate to begin with the result that a shot that hit the post was not a goal, and the team lost 0-3.
According to the reported schedule, Atlético is scheduled to play Liverpool in the 1st leg of the UEFA Champions League league phase in 10 days at Anfield in Liverpool, England. This is a scheduled match and does not mean that Atlético will rebound or indicate the result after this defeat. One thing was confirmed in the Bilbao match: how the team prevents and finishes two sequences early in the second half changed the outcome more significantly than the number of chances it created.
References
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