Pablo Barrios scored twice to help Atletico Madrid rebound from a heavy Club World Cup opening defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, sealing a 3-1 win over MLS side Seattle Sounders on Thursday.
Following a 4-0 loss to PSG at the Rose Bowl, Atletico showed renewed purpose and dominance at Seattle’s Lumen Field. Giuliano Simeone—son of head coach Diego Simeone—provided the assist for the opener, bursting down the right wing and cutting back for Barrios, whose powerful finish flew in off the underside of the crossbar in the 11th minute.
Atletico had multiple chances to extend their lead, but Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez were wasteful in front of goal. Sorloth in particular missed two clear opportunities, one from close range and another one-on-one with Seattle keeper Stefan Frei.
A penalty awarded to Atletico late in the first half was overturned after a VAR review, while Seattle nearly equalized through Reed Baker-Whiting’s strike that whistled just wide on the stroke of halftime.
Axel Witsel made an immediate impact after coming on at the break, heading in from close range after Marcos Llorente’s shot was tipped onto the bar and Robin Le Normand kept the play alive. That goal put Atletico 2-0 ahead.
Seattle showed resilience, with Albert Rusnak reducing the deficit with a smart finish in the 65th minute. However, Barrios restored the two-goal cushion five minutes later, calmly slotting into the far corner after a long throw found him at the back post.
Julian Alvarez later struck the woodwork with a volley, and although the Sounders fought until the end, Atletico maintained control to secure the win.
Seattle will be eliminated from the Club World Cup if PSG avoid defeat against Botafogo later Thursday.
