By Toby Prince
Atletico Madrid kicked off their La Liga campaign with a 1-0 win over newly promoted Las Palmas, but failed to live up to pre-season expectations in a nervy display.
Antoine Griezmann got the only goal of the game with a deflected free-kick after 16 minutes.
However, Atletico struggled to create clear-cut opportunities and were nearly made to pay when David Simon headed against the bar for the visitors.
Atletico have unusually been the biggest spenders in Spain over the close season after a quiet summer in the transfer market for Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Jackson Martinez made his debut up front, whilst Filipe Luis returned at left-back after a difficult year at Chelsea.
However, it was last season’s top scorer Griezmann who again made the difference.
The French international had already seen one effort fly just wide of the target before his free-kick from the edge of the box clipped the Las Palmas wall and wrong-footed Raul Lizoain.
Simon had a great chance to level just before the hour mark as he was left unmarked at the back post from a corner but his header clipped the bar on its way behind.
Martinez’s underwhelming bow was then cut short as he was replaced by Fernando Torres.
However, the former Liverpool and Chelsea striker almost handed Las Palmas an equaliser as he directed another dangerous corner towards his own goal and forced Jan Oblak into a brilliant save to ensure all three points.
Atletico could have added to their added to their lead in the closing stages as Luis nearly marked his homecoming with a fine individual goal only to be denied by Lizoain.
The Las Palmas ‘keeper was beaten by another free-kick in stoppage time, but this time Koke’s effort came back off the post.
Earlier, David Moyes’s Real Sociedad could only manage an uneventful 0-0 draw away at Deportivo la Coruna in a repeat of the result in the former Manchester United coach’s first game in charge of the Basques last November.
Espanyol got off to a winning start against Getafe thanks to Salva Sevilla’s fine free-kick.
Defending Champions, Barcelona, are away at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday while Real Madrid also travel to Sporting Gijon.
