Conor Gallagher Scores First La Liga Goal as Atletico Madrid Secure 3-0 Win Over Valencia

Conor Gallagher opened his La Liga account with a stunning goal as Atletico Madrid cruised to a 3-0 victory over Valencia, continuing their unbeaten start to the season. Gallagher, who joined Atletico from Chelsea, was instrumental in Diego Simeone's side, netting the first goal of the game at the Estadio Civitas Metropolitano in the 39th minute.

The former Chelsea midfielder, starting for the second time this season, connected with a precise through ball from Rodrigo De Paul, rifling his shot beneath Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. Gallagher’s goal gave Atletico the lead heading into halftime, and Antoine Griezmann added to Valencia’s woes shortly after the break. Later in the game, Julian Alvarez sealed the victory with his first goal for the club in stoppage time.

Gallagher, positioned on the left side of Atletico’s midfield trio, played a full 90 minutes and made a significant impact, contributing not only with his goal but also as a decoy for Griezmann’s second-half strike. He was also involved defensively, making a crucial clearance as Valencia threatened a late comeback.

Atletico Madrid’s win moved them to 11 points in La Liga, keeping pace with Real Madrid and Villarreal in the standings. Leaders Barcelona also enjoyed a dominant 4-1 win over Girona, with teenage sensation Lamine Yamal scoring twice to continue his rise.

This victory demonstrated Simeone’s flexibility in deploying his players, with Gallagher having been used in various tactical setups since his €42 million move. He played in a more advanced role alongside Griezmann against Athletic Bilbao but was rested in the match against Espanyol. Gallagher’s strong performance against Valencia now raises the question of whether he will feature in Atletico's upcoming UEFA Champions League opener against RB Leipzig.

Julian Alvarez also made his mark, scoring Atletico’s third goal in the 93rd minute after Rodrigo Riquelme’s shot was parried by Mamardashvili. The ball fell to Alvarez, who slotted home to secure all three points.

Atletico Madrid will face Rayo Vallecano and Celta Vigo in their next La Liga fixtures before taking on Real Madrid in the highly anticipated Madrid derby, where Gallagher could face his England teammate Jude Bellingham.