Atletico Madrid moved into second position in La Liga with a 2-0 win over struggling Elche on Saturday afternoon.
Jose Gimenez and Mario Mandzukic were both on the scoresheet for the away side, who have moved above Barcelona.
Elche, meanwhile, remain 19th in the table on just 10 points.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two Spanish rivals.
Match statistics
ELCHE
Shots: 8
On target: 1
Possession: 43%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 18
ATLETICO
Shots: 4
On target: 3
Possession: 57%
Corners: 1
Fouls: 15
Was the result fair?
It was an extremely professional performance from Atletico. The statistics suggest that clear chances were few and far between and that was indeed the case. In fact, in the first 45 minutes, there was just one attempt on target and that brought the opening goal for Atletico. Elche had periods of the match where they threatened to turn the tide, but Atletico were always comfortable when the ball was in the air. There was not too much in the game, but Atletico certainly deserved to run out 2-0 winners despite a spirited performance from the home side, who remain in the relegation zone.
Elche's performance
Elche will still be in the bottom three come the end of the weekend, but they can take some positives from their performance against Atletico. The home side restricted the Spanish champions to very few chances and also had dangerous moments of their own. That said, the fact that they managed just one attempt on target throughout the match tells the whole story. Too often the hosts lacked quality in the final third, while Jonathas became increasingly frustrated with the lack of support as the match advanced. Their performance might have brought three points against one of the so-called lesser teams in Spain, but Atletico were so solid in defensive areas. It is still just two league wins for Elche this season, but on his performance, there are certainly at least three worse teams in the division.
Atletico's performance
It was a performance that Atletico have mastered over the last couple of seasons. It was not great to watch at times and there was a lack of fluid movement, but they got the job done and indeed kept another clean sheet in the process. It certainly helped that they took the lead after 17 minutes, with Gimenez finding the top corner in superb fashion. The Spanish champions then had to drop back and defend in the first period, but they always looked dangerous on the counter-attack. When the second goal arrived early in the second half, it was effectively game over and Atletico could sit back and play their normal game on the break. At this stage of the season, it is results and not performances that matter and Diego Simeone can be pleased with another victory.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Jose Gimenez: Had Miranda been fit over the last couple of weeks, then Gimenez would probably not have been given a run in the Atletico side. Well, Simeone will be brave to leave Gimenez out when Miranda does return. The young centre-back opened the scoring with a stunning effort into the top corner, while he was calm and composed at the heart of the defence. The Uruguay international is growing in stature each time he takes to the field.
Biggest gaffe
It is perhaps a touch harsh to pick out Elche goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton for this particular award, but there is no doubt that the stopper will be disappointed with Atletico's second goal of the match. When Mandzukic collected a pass from Gabi, the Atletico forward seemed to move too wide of the goal, but somehow the Croatian squeezed one into the bottom corner. No goalkeeper likes to be beaten at their near post and unfortunately that was the case for Tyton.
Referee performance
Overall, referee Inaki Bikandi had a fairly comfortable afternoon. There were periods of the match where tensions threatened to boil over, but the Spaniard was on hand to calm proceedings. In total, he issued just two yellow cards - both of which came for Elche. There was not really a major decision for Bikandi to make and neither manager will have any complaints.
What next?
Elche: Next up for the strugglers is a trip to Deportivo La Coruna on December 15.
Atletico: Atletico return to Champions League action away to Juventus on Tuesday, before welcoming Villarreal in the league next weekend.
Matt Law
