Lee Kang-in sets up opener but Atletico fall to Barcelona in 1-2 home defeat

South Korea national team forward Lee Kang-in contributed to Atletico Madrid's opening goal against Barcelona, but the hosts could not hold their lead and suffered a comeback defeat.

Atletico lost 1-2 to Barcelona in their 2026-2027 La Liga round 12 home match at Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid on Nov. 19 at 5 a.m. Korean Standard Time.

The defeat ended Atletico's seven-match winning streak in the league, dropping them from second to third place with 33 points (9 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses). Barcelona, meanwhile, extended their lead at the top with 33 points from 11 wins and 1 loss.

Lee started in a 4-4-2 formation alongside Julian Alvarez as a two-striker partnership and played 60 minutes. He registered one shot but did not record a goal or an assist.

Lee has appeared in 14 of Atletico's 15 official matches this season. In La Liga, he has featured in all 12 matches — starting 10 — and has scored two goals and provided one assist.

It was Atletico who broke the deadlock in the 10th minute of the first half.

The opener came directly from a brilliant penetrating pass by Lee. Receiving the ball on the right flank, Lee threaded a long outside-of-the-foot pass across to Alvarez on the far side. Alvarez quickly played it into the center, where a charging Simeone finished with a first-time shot.

Lee's first shot came in the 24th minute. He picked up the ball on the right side of the box, shook off a defender and struck hard with his left foot, but the effort went straight at the goalkeeper.

Barcelona, who had been under pressure, leveled before halftime. In the 45th minute, a ball that deflected off Pubill inside the box fell to Lopez, who shot immediately to find the net.

The first half ended 1-1 in a fiercely contested exchange.

Lee played until the 60th minute before being substituted for Alexander Sorloth.

Barcelona then completed the turnaround in the 66th minute.

Lamine Yamal cut the ball from the right side of the penalty area to the right of the six-yard box, and Lopez drove it into the net with a first-time right-footed shot to flip the result.

Atletico threw everything into finding an equalizer but could not breach Barcelona's goal again, falling to defeat on home soil.

The loss marked back-to-back defeats in official competition for Atletico, following a 0-2 home loss to Bayern Munich in their UEFA Champions League league phase matchday 4 on Wednesday.