Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey scored a last-minute winner as Atletico Madrid came from two goals down to maintain their perfect start to the LaLiga season with a 3-2 victory against Eibar.
The home side looked set to drop points in this evening’s match after conceding twice inside the opening 20 minutes of a home league game under Diego Simeone for the first time, with Charles and Anaitz Arbilla defying the form book at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Joao Felix scored his first La Liga goal to start the comeback before the half-hour and Vitolo, introduced at the interval, dragged his side back on to level terms early in the second half against an Eibar side still without a win this season.
Los Rojiblancos carved out 1-0 victories over Getafe and Leganes in their initial matches and they showed true fighting spirit as Thomas Partey poked home to lift Atletico above Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla to the top of LaLiga.
Charles converted Fabian Orellana’s cross on the counter to give Eibar a seventh-minute lead and, after Diego Costa fired over the bar from close range, Arbilla doubled his side’s tally with 19 minutes played. The left-back’s powerful shot took a deflection off Jose Gimenez and Jan Oblak was unable to react.
It did not take long for Simeone’s men to respond, though, with Costa showing good strength in the box and returning the pass to Joao Felix for a simple finish into an empty net.
Atletico, who had a penalty appeal rejected before half-time when Joao Felix was seemingly clipped inside the box, brought on Vitolo for Marcos Llorente at the interval and that change proved inspired.
The lively Renan Lodi picked out Vitolo’s run and the attacker poked the ball past Marko Dmitrovic to level matters seven minutes into the second half.
It looked like being a day of frustration for Atletico when Costa had two goals ruled out for offside, only for another substitute, Thomas Partey, to pop up with a dramatic late winner.
