Sorloth Nets a Hat-Trick Against Girona, Securing a Joyful Conclusion to Atletico Madrid’s Season

Alexander Sorloth made a spectacular impact off the bench, netting a hat-trick as Atlético Madrid cruised to a commanding 4-0 victory against Girona in La Liga. While the visitors had secured third place prior to this match, they will be pleased to have avoided a worrying run of four consecutive away league matches without scoring—a trend not seen since 2011.

With Girona out of danger and Atlético comfortably entrenched in their familiar third spot, expectations were low for an exciting contest, especially compared to the previous day’s intense battles for European qualification and survival in La Liga. However, the first half proved to be relatively lively, even if the execution left something to be desired.

The best opportunities of the opening 45 minutes clearly belonged to Julian Alvarez, who twice attempted to find the bottom-left corner, only to be denied by solid saves from Vladyslav Krapyvtsov, including a bold free kick from the edge of the area.

Overall, Atlético dominated the first half in terms of chances, although Girona stood firm against a team that has struggled as one of the poorest travellers among the top five based on points-per-game.

Visiting manager Diego Simeone’s frustrations boiled over in stoppage time of the first half, earning a yellow card for dissent as he protested against Yangel Herrera’s physical treatment of Rodrigo De Paul.

For the Argentine coach, something more inventive would be necessary if he aimed to claim his seventh victory in nine encounters against Michel (with one draw and one loss). Ultimately, he resisted the urge to make any changes during the break, but the same pattern resumed, with Antoine Griezmann denied by a combination of the crossbar and the goalkeeper from a tight angle. Samuel Lino then saw a shot deflected over the bar by Daley Blind, much to Krapyvtsov’s relief, as he faced a difficult challenge from the deflection.

Finally, Simeone looked to his bench for inspiration at the hour mark, introducing his youngest son, Giuliano, alongside Sorloth. With the added motivation to surpass teammate Alvarez as the club’s top scorer for the 2024/25 season, it took Sorloth only six minutes to break the deadlock.

A series of well-executed passes saw Alvarez find De Paul, who then set up Sorloth across the face of goal. The Norwegian made no mistake, securing his 18th league goal of the season with a well-placed shot.

With Girona already assured of their lowest La Liga finish since returning to the top flight three years ago, their response was disappointingly weak. A close-range finish from Clement Lenglet, following a fumble from Krapyvtsov, along with two additional goals from Sorloth, sealed a comfortably one-sided win for Simeone’s side.

Atlético will be keen to kick off the forthcoming FIFA Club World Cup on the right foot, whereas Girona will shift their focus to a more immediate concern; a single point against Sevilla later today—who face Villarreal—would condemn the Blanquivermells to finishing as the lowest-ranked team outside the relegation zone.

Check out all the match statistics here.