Atlético Madrid's Defeat in Bilbao: Lee Kang-in's Near-Miss
Atlético Madrid walked out of San Mamés with a 0–3 defeat and a long list of regrets, not least for Lee Kang-in, who came within a few centimeters of changing the story of the night.
The South Korean midfielder started for Atlético in the fourth round of La Liga and looked sharp early on. He lasted until the 58th minute, substituted with the game still in the balance on the scoreboard but slipping away in every other sense.
Lee’s near-miss and Atlético’s wasted platform
For half an hour, Atlético looked alive. Lee drifted between the lines, demanded the ball and almost produced the breakthrough their start deserved.
His best moment came with a crisp right-footed effort that beat the goalkeeper but not the frame of the goal, smashing against the post. It was one of two Atlético efforts that struck the woodwork in the first half, a reminder that this game was not always a procession for Athletic Bilbao.
That was as close as Lee came. As the match wore on, his influence faded. The early sharp touches and neat ball control that set up his chance gave way to longer spells without impact, as Bilbao’s pressure grew and Atlético’s structure frayed.
Spanish outlet El Desmarque reflected that arc in their ratings, handing Lee a 5. They highlighted his energetic start and composure on the ball in the move that led to the shot off the post, but underlined how he drifted out of the contest as Atlético lost their grip.
Defensive errors open the floodgates
If the first half belonged to frustration, the second belonged to collapse.
After the break, Atlético conceded three times, undone by defensive mistakes that turned a tight match into a rout. The visitors’ back line never looked settled, and each error pushed them deeper into trouble until the scoreline brutally matched the pattern of the half.
Jan Oblak, usually Atlético’s safety net, finished the night with a harsh statistic: not a single save recorded, according to El Desmarque. He was given a 3, a rating that underlined both Bilbao’s ruthlessness and the fragility in front of him.
Álex Grimaldo also received a 3. He struggled throughout his duel with Robert Navarro, repeatedly exposed as Bilbao targeted his flank. The pressure eventually told, and with it went Atlético’s resistance.
Ademola Lookman and Giuliano Simeone joined them on 3, punished in the ratings for their inability to shift the momentum or threaten consistently in the final third.
Who stood up for Atlético?
Amid the wreckage, a few Atlético players escaped with some credit.
Marc Pubill, Morten Hjulmand, Pablo Barrios and Álex Baena were all rated 6, the highest marks in the visiting side. Pubill impressed with his defensive work in the first half, when Atlético still looked organized and competitive. Hjulmand and Barrios were praised for their steady presence in midfield, trying to knit play together while the game around them grew increasingly chaotic.
Baena, also on 6, at least tried to tilt the match back with efforts from distance and attacking intent, even as the rest of the team sagged.
Marcos Llorente landed on a 4, stuck between lines and never quite able to impose his usual driving influence.
Cristian Romero, making his Atlético debut after coming off the bench, earned a 5. So did Julián Álvarez. Both showed flashes but could not change a night already sliding away from the visitors.
A warning shot for Atlético
The scoreline will sting, but the manner of the defeat cuts deeper: woodwork rattled in the first half, then defensive errors punished without mercy in the second.
For Lee Kang-in, the image lingers — a clean strike, the thud of ball on post, and what might have been. For Atlético, the question is sharper: was this just one bad night in Bilbao, or an early sign of deeper problems in a long Spanish season?
