On Saturday, Alex Baena netted in the 89th minute to give [Atletico Madrid](https://www.atleticodemadrid.com) a 1‑0 victory over [Espanyol](https://www.rcdespanyol.com) at the Cornella stadium, tightening the [La Liga](https://www.laliga.com) title race and leaving the visitors in second place, two points behind champions Barcelona.
The win lifted Atletico to second spot, just two points shy of Barcelona, who will travel to Real Betis later in the week.
Baena, who struggled for form after Spain’s World Cup triumph, struck from the edge of the box, registering his fifth league goal of the season.
“They were solid defensively and it was difficult for us,” Baena told DAZN. “The good thing about this team is that we keep believing until the 90th minute.”
“He is a player who can cause a lot of damage and is in very good form,” said [Diego Simeone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diego_Simeone) after the match.
Both sides created chances early; Espanyol’s Leandro Cabrera hit the cross‑bar, and Atletico’s Marcos Llorente later struck the woodwork.
What decided the match?
Julian Alvarez, who came off the bench, delivered a precise pass that set up Baena’s decisive finish, securing three points for the Rojiblancos.
Goalkeeper Jan Oblak made a crucial save in stoppage time from Pol Lozano to preserve the clean sheet.
Atletico have now recorded six consecutive wins across all competitions. On Sunday, fourth‑placed Real Madrid will host Sevilla.