England midfielder Conor Gallagher made his Atletico Madrid debut in a comfortable 3-0 victory over Girona in La Liga.
Gallagher, who signed from Chelsea on Wednesday in a deal worth around £33 million, came on as a second-half substitute in Sunday’s match.
By the time he was introduced, Atletico were already leading 2-0, with Antoine Griezmann having opened the scoring with a first-half free-kick and Marcos Llorente doubling the lead with a spectacular strike in the second half.
Earlier this week, Gallagher’s arrival was celebrated by thousands of Atletico fans who attended his unveiling, where the 24-year-old was welcomed with a light show and pitchside flamethrowers.
Although his role in the game was relatively subdued given the scoreline, Gallagher integrated well into the Atletico midfield, linking up play as his team continued to push through Girona’s defense.
Atletico, who drew 2-2 with Villarreal in their opening La Liga match last weekend, were frustrated in the first half when Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga avoided a red card despite handling the ball outside his area.
However, their frustration quickly turned to joy when Griezmann curled a shot from the edge of the area into the far corner from the resulting free-kick.
Later, full-back Llorente charged down the right flank before unleashing a powerful shot from distance over Gazzaniga’s head.
Koke sealed the victory in the fourth minute of added time, slotting home a Llorente pass from close range.
Gallagher could make his first start for Atletico when they face Espanyol on Wednesday at 20:30 BST.
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