Kang-in Lee and Alex Baena struck in the second half as Atletico Madrid opened their La Liga campaign with a 2-0 victory over Malaga at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
The hosts dominated possession and territory from the outset but were frustrated for long periods by a disciplined visiting defence.
Malaga threatened sporadically before the interval, with David Larrubia testing the hosts' backline, yet both sides entered the break without a breakthrough.
Atletico stepped up the tempo in the second period, carving out clearer openings as the visitors began to concede territory.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 70th minute when Lee found space in the box to deliver a sublime finish into the net.
The goal rewarded sustained pressure from the home side, who registered 15 shots and struck the woodwork across the contest.
Malaga attempted to respond by introducing fresh legs from the bench, but they struggled to create meaningful openings against an organised defence.
Baena secured the points five minutes from time, finishing clinically in the 85th minute to put the result beyond doubt.
Referee Adrian Cordero Vega blew the final whistle after six minutes of stoppage time to confirm a commanding opening victory for Madrid.
