Atlético Madrid closed out 2025 in emphatic fashion with a 3–0 victory over Girona, maintaining their perfect record against teams in LaLiga’s pre-round bottom five this season, having now won all five such encounters.

Los Colchoneros set the tone early, showing attacking intent from the opening minutes. Julián Álvarez saw an effort deflected behind by Arnau Martínez, while Nico González worked space inside the box but fired over within the first nine minutes.

The breakthrough soon followed. A loose touch from Martínez diverted the ball into the path of Koke, and the Atlético captain produced a stunning long-range strike that flew into the top corner to give the hosts a deserved lead.

Girona responded positively and enjoyed a brief spell of pressure. Vladyslav Vanat’s effort lacked conviction, but Axel Witsel came closer, forcing an excellent reflex save from his former teammate Jan Oblak.

Atlético were dealt a blow just before the half-hour mark when González was forced off with a hamstring injury. His replacement, Conor Gallagher, was quickly involved and narrowly missed extending the lead after a well-worked move involving Alexander Sørloth.

Gallagher would not be denied for long. In the 38th minute, his driven effort took a deflection off Vitor Reis, wrongfooting Paulo Gazzaniga and sending the ball into the bottom corner to double Atlético’s advantage. The midfielder continued to find dangerous positions and tested the goalkeeper again before the interval.

After the restart, Atlético retained control and continued to move the ball with confidence. Sørloth had a header saved, while Koke dragged a long-range effort wide. Sørloth later saw another attempt blocked by Daley Blind as Girona dropped deeper to limit further damage.

Despite their defensive efforts, Girona offered little going forward. Their best chance of the half arrived in the 73rd minute when Blind threaded a pass through to Alex Moreno, but Oblak was quick off his line to smother the danger and preserve the clean sheet.

The result was put beyond doubt late on when Antoine Griezmann combined brilliantly with fellow substitute Giacomo Raspadori before calmly placing his finish into the bottom corner.

The goal capped a commanding display and sealed Atlético’s fourth consecutive win in all competitions, lifting them to third place in LaLiga ahead of Villarreal’s clash with Barcelona.

For Girona, it was a sobering end to the year. They have now lost three of their last four competitive matches and finish 2025 inside the relegation zone.