Ratings: Sørloth header guides Atlético to key home win

Story byRyan McCainSun, January 18, 2026 at 5:48 PM UTC·5 min readA chilly afternoon in Madrid proved to be a warm welcome home for Los Rojiblancos, as they secured a 1-0 win over relegation-threatened Alavés in their first league game at the Metropolitano in 2026. The victory sees Los Colchoneros go level on points with Villarreal, who have a match in hand. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAtleti were not short on chances, finishing with their second-highest shot count of the year, and they appeared firmly in control for most of the match. The lone goal from Alexander Sørloth, three minutes after halftime, ultimately sealed the team’s ninth home win in 10 tries. Here are Into the Calderón’s player ratings from this afternoon’s match:Player RatingsJan Oblak: Outside of the opening minutes, Alavés did not trouble Jan Oblak’s net much. 5Matteo Ruggeri: A very average performance for the Italian.