Cubo doblete guide Atlético Madrileño's 4-0 win
Miguel Cubo scored twice off the bench as Fernando Torres's reserve side thrashed Real Murcia 4-0, despite an injury scare for Sergio Esteban.
Atlético Madrileño thrashed Real Murcia 4-0, with Miguel Cubo coming off the bench to score twice in a rout that leaves Fernando Torres's reserve side looking sharper than their pre-season form suggested.
Álvaro Santos opened the scoring in the 12th minute from the penalty spot, awarded after a lengthy VAR review for a foul by Javi Mier on Domènech. The half belonged to the home side throughout: 10 shots on target and two goals before the break against a Real Murcia team many had tipped, on sporting and financial grounds, as genuine promotion contenders this season.
The one blow for Atlético Madrileño came moments after the opener, when Sergio Esteban pulled up with a muscle injury during a counter-attack in which he had struck the ball awkwardly. The extent of the problem was not yet clear.
Cubo, who had not even started the match, turned the game into a rout with a second-half double, adding to a first period that had already left the tie beyond doubt. The second 45 minutes were less one-sided than the first but no less effective, and the 4-0 scoreline confirmed a result built largely on that opening spell.
For a squad almost entirely overhauled from last season and one that had picked up only defeats in pre-season, the performance suggests the work under Torres is beginning to show on the pitch.
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