Atletico Madrid returned to third position in La Liga with a 2-0 win over Granada on Sunday.
Croatian forward Mario Mandzukic opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 34 minutes, before Raul Garcia added a second late on.
The result has left Granada bottom of the table, two points from safety.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two Spanish rivals.
Match statistics
ATLETICO
Shots: 12
On target: 3
Possession: 61%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 16
GRANADA
Shots: 5
On target: 1
Possession: 39%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 15
Was the result fair?
In truth, it was far from a classic at the Vicente Calderon. The first period was fairly even in terms of chances created, but it was the home side that led courtesy of Mandzukic's penalty. Atletico were expected to kick on in the second period, but it never really transpired and Granada continued to offer a threat on the counter-attack. Granted, the hosts did add a second late on through Garcia, but it was a professional performance rather than a comprehensive one from the champions. That said, it was the type of result and indeed display that helped them win the league title last season.
Atletico's performance
Atletico boss Diego Simeone took no risks at the Calderon - recalling all of his big guns for the clash against the league's basement side. As touched upon, however, it took the home side a long while to really get going. Granada looked the more dangerous in the early moments, but that said, neither created many chances of note. Atletico got the all-important first goal, however, which was always going to be vital in terms of the final result. Mandzukic, who worked extremely hard, proved key for the home side, while Arda Turan had a wonderful game in a wide area.
Defensively, it was normal service for Atletico, meanwhile, with Jose Gimenez slotting in alongside Diego Godin. There were moments where Juanfran and Guilherme Siqueira were stretched in wide areas, but Atletico never offered the impression that they were under serious pressure, even when they were struggling down the other end. Simeone has seen his side play much better this season, but it was the points and not the performance that the Argentine would have wanted most here.
Granada's performance
In truth, it was not too difficult to see why Granada have scored just 11 times in the league this season. Lass Bangoura and Robert Ibanez, who are on loan from Rayo Vallecano and Valencia respectively, certainly added more flair, but Youssef El-Arabi is having a really tough time in attack at the moment and it never quite happened for the forward. Granada remain bottom of the table, but there is no question that they can take positives from their performance against the champions.
Indeed, whether Granada survive this season is not going to depend on their results against teams such as Atletico, especially away from home. Their position in the table is obviously poor, but they are in touching distance of the teams above them. Defensively, the visitors were also pretty solid for long spells, with Diego Mainz impressing at the heart of the defence. There is talent in the Granada squad and it is certainly not all doom and gloom despite the disappointment of the defeat.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Mario Mandzukic: The Croatian has been tasked with replacing Diego Costa this season and he has certainly eased the loss of the Brazilian-born forward. Mandzukic's goal from the penalty spot was his 16th for the club this season, but it was his overall work that impressed the most. The former Bayern Munich attacker never stopped running in the final third.
Biggest gaffe
Granada were extremely fortunate to keep 11 men on the field in the first period when Abdou Sissoko brought Godin to the ground in the penalty incident. Atletico were awarded a spot kick, but the defender should have been given a red card for the last-man challenge. It did not impact the final result, but it was still a poor decision from the official.
Referee performance
As mentioned, referee Ignacio Iglesias should have sent Sissoko to the field in the incident that led to the Atletico spot kick, but the official did little else wrong in the capital. The Spaniard awarded six yellow cards, but he was prepared to let the play flow in forward areas. It was a fairly comfortable 90 minutes of work.
What next?
Atletico: Next up in the league for Atletico, who have regained third spot in the table, is a home match against near-neighbours Rayo Vallecano next Saturday.
Granada: Granada, meanwhile, will attempt to end their poor run of form when they travel to fellow strugglers Deportivo La Coruna next Sunday.
Matt Law
