With the team scoring first in the previous 12 Union matches going on to win, it came as no surprise that the visitors made a fast start.
Just two minutes in, some neat build-up play resulted in Rob Schoofs firing just wide, before Jan Oblak narrowly avoided calamity when he struggled to control a backpass that was heading in.
Atleti were struggling with the pace in attack of the Belgian champions, who came close again in the 17th minute when Kevin Rodríguez failed to turn in Anan Khalaili’s centre.
Los Colchoneros finally had a sight of goal midway through the half, but Julian Alvarez’s strike from range was comfortably held by Kjell Scherpen.
Alvarez turned provider soon after with a cross for early substitute Jose Maria Gimenez, who could not direct his header on target.
Diego Simeone’s side made their pressure count six minutes before half-time, when Pablo Barrios showed his pace on the right before pulling the ball back to Alvarez, and the Argentinian powered in his second UCL goal of the campaign.
The hosts thought they had gone further clear in first-half stoppage time when Antoine Griezmann tucked home a rebound, only for VAR to spot an offside in the build-up.
Atleti began the second half where they left off, and had their first chance five minutes in when Giuliano Simeone chased a long aerial pass and drilled the bouncing ball across goal.
Matteo Ruggeri then had a dangerous effort deflected narrowly over before Alexander Sorloth had a penalty appeal waved away as the one-way traffic continued.
That was until just over 20 minutes to play, when Les Unionistes kept the ball alive in the hosts’ box following a free-kick, and it dropped to Promise Akinpelu, whose snapshot flashed past the post.
That proved to be the Madrid side’s wake-up call, as 17 minutes from time, a determined Sorloth cut inside and had two shots blocked, before the second rebound fell to Conor Gallagher, who fired it into the top corner.
However, seven minutes later, USG were back in it when a Sofiane Boufal free-kick from out wide was nodded home at the back post by Ross Sykes.
Thankfully for the hosts, Atleti held their nerve, making sure of the result deep into stoppage time as Marcos Llorente finished well when one-on-one.
Those three points take Atleti’s tally to six after four games, while USG remain on three, having failed to win since the opening matchday.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Pablo Barrios (Atletico Madrid)
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