Giuliano Simeone gave the visitors a seventh-minute lead when the former Alaves loanee instigated a break down the right, and showed brilliant persistence to latch onto the ball after a game of pinball inside the box, before firing home past Antonio Sivera.
That ended a run of three consecutive away games for Atletico without scoring at Mendizorroza, but the visitors’ joy was short-lived, as the hosts were awarded a penalty when Alexander Sorloth was penalised for bringing down Nahuel Tenaglia in the box.
Carlos Vicente was successful from the spot, meaning Simeone’s men surrendered a one-goal advantage for a third successive game.
Atleti continued to look vulnerable at the back in a largely lacklustre opening 45 minutes, and struggled to feed the likes of Sorloth and Julian Alvarez up top. Most of the half had gone to plan for Eduardo Coudet’s side, and the tight nature of this contest certainly suited the hosts heading into half-time.
Following a lengthy delay after an ill fan was taken away from the stands, Simeone’s side pressed forward in a bid to re-establish their lead but were kept at bay by a resolute and well-organised Alaves backline.
The stop-start pattern continued, preventing the visitors from gaining any sort of momentum. Simeone introduced Antoine Griezmann from the bench, and the Frenchman soon swung in a fine left-footed cross towards Sorloth, whose header was parried over by Sivera.
Griezmann then rattled the post from a searching corner into the box, and there were signs that a second Atletico goal may not be too far away.
Griezmann looked like being the most likely creator of a second Atletico goal, and he floated in a rather innocuous-looking set-piece which Sivera parried away to safety at the last moment.
With 15 minutes of stoppage time on the clock, there was still plenty of time for an Atletico winner, but they had to contend with El Glorioso’s ability to press and restrict space in their efforts to grind out a point.
Ultimately, Atleti would leave the Basque Country without the second goal that they so desperately craved. The last time they failed to win any of their opening three league games in charge came under Abel Resino in the 2009/10 campaign, while Coudet’s side proved themselves to be a tough nut to crack at the Mendizorroza, and are now unbeaten in each of their last six home matches (W3, D3).
Flashscore Man of the Match: Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid)
