Grimaldo penalty and David's debut goal seal Atlético's 3-0 comeback at Sociedad

Atlético Madrid claimed a 3-0 victory away to Real Sociedad at Anoeta, with three goals in the final ten minutes transforming a cagey stalemate into a decisive away win. Alejandro Grimaldo’s penalty, Jonathan David’s first goal in rojiblanco colours, and a late strike from Giuliano Simeone completed the turnaround.

For the best part of 80 minutes, the match offered little to separate the sides. Real Sociedad enjoyed the majority of possession and threatened from set pieces — Luka Sucic went close from a corner and Sergio Gómez forced a save from Jan Oblak with a free kick — while Atlético’s best early openings fell to Kang-In Lee and Morten Hjulmand without troubling the home goalkeeper.

The contest shifted in the 81st minute when the ball rebounded onto Job Ochieng’s hand inside the area. Referee Juan Martínez Munuera pointed to the spot, and Grimaldo converted — his first goal for the club. Real Sociedad goalkeeper Álex Remiro disputed the decision after the match, arguing the ball had struck Ochieng’s hand on the rebound and that the scoreline did not reflect his side’s performance before the penalty.

Atlético capitalised on the space that opened up. David doubled the lead by receiving Grimaldo’s pass, holding off Gómez, and finishing coolly — his first strike since joining the club. Giuliano Simeone then completed the scoring with a strong late run to make it three.

Despite being outpossessed — Real Sociedad held 53.6% to Atlético’s 46.4% — the visitors registered 11 shots to the home side’s four, a disparity that ultimately told in the closing stages.

Grimaldo said the win was particularly important following two consecutive defeats, acknowledging he had endured a difficult start to the season after missing pre-season due to World Cup commitments, but felt his form was returning. Atlético’s Victoria credited the impact of substitutions and the decision to deploy David as a more advanced striker with helping to shift the dynamic of the game, while noting the squad still had room to grow.