Racing Santander 0 - Atlético Madrid 1

Racing: Toño; Pinillos, Oriol, Pablo Alfaro, Luis Fernández; Vitolo, Colsa; Cristian Alvarez (Balboa 64'), Felipe Melo (Momo 85'), Munitis; Juanjo (Aganzo 69'). 4-2-3-1.
Atlético: Leo Franco; Seitaridis, Perea, Pablo, Antonio López; Jurado (Valera 46'), Luccin, Costinha, Petrov (Gabi 46'); Mista (Agüero 68'), Fernando Torres. 4-4-2.

Goals:
0-1. 12. Fernando Torres. Ran ball in to net after Toño blocked first shot.

Atlético Madrid's new coach Javier Aguirre led his new side to their first opening day win for over ten years. With four of the new signings in the line up and Agüero on the bench, the visitors got off to a strong start, with Petrov shooting wide early on. And with only 12 minutes gone Fernando Torres put them ahead with an opportunist goal when the ball fell kindly to him after Mista´s shot was blocked.

Racing woke up after that though, Oriol heading just wide and Juanjo hitting the bar, and Munitis and colsa also went close before the break. And things appeared to swing in their favour when debutant Seitaridis got himself sent off for a foul on Felipe Melo just a minute before the break.

The old Atlético would probably have crumbled, but Aguirre seems to have given them more steel and they held on, the coach taking off his two wide men at the break to strengthen his defence. Leo Franco still had to make important saves from a Cristian Alvarez header, and soon afterwards from a long shot by Balboa, but they at least made sure of the first three points of the season.