MADRID: Atletico Madrid earned an impressive 3-0 victory over last season's surprise package Girona in La Liga on Sunday.
Antoine Griezmann, Marcos Llorente and Koke's strikes helped Diego Simeone's side claim their first win of the campaign.
Julian Alvarez started for the Rojiblancos at their Metropolitano stadium while new arrival Conor Gallagher made his debut as a substitute after joining from Chelsea.
The hosts had control of the game as Michel Sanchez's Girona, who finished third ahead of fourth-place Atletico last term, struggled to make an impact.
Griezmann put Atletico ahead shortly before the interval with a hard and low free-kick which caught goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga out.
Llorente increased their lead early in the second half with a thunderbolt from outside the area which flashed past Gazzaniga into the roof of the net.
Girona, who lost several key players in the summer, barely laid a glove on Atletico and have only one point from their first two matches.
Koke wrapped up Atletico's win on the counter-attack in stoppage time when Llorente put the ball on a plate for him to finish. — AFP