Atletico Madrid moved onto six points in Group A with a thumping 5-0 win over Malmo in the Champions League this evening.
All five strikes came early in the second period, with Koke, Mario Mandzukic, Antoine Griezmann, Diego Godin and Alessio Cerci all on the scoresheet.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action from the Spanish capital.
Match statistics
ATLETICO
Shots: 26
On target: 9
Possession: 56%
Corners: 10
Fouls: 9
MALMO
Shots: 8
On target: 3
Possession: 44%
Corners: 2
Fouls: 14
Was the result fair?
If Atletico boss Diego Simeone had been offered a 1-0 win at the interval then he probably would have taken it. It was a frustrating first 45 minutes for the Spanish champions, with Malmo dealing with the home side's pressure and causing problems of their own. It was a completely different story in the second half, however, as Atletico ran riot with five goals. In truth, a 5-0 defeat is a touch harsh on the visitors, who did frustrate Atletico for long spells, but they fell apart in the early stages of the second period - conceding three goals in quick succession. Overall, the Spanish side deserved to emerge comfortable winners at the Vicente Calderon.
Atletico's performance
The home side had plenty of the ball in the first period and created a number of half-chances, but the majority of their efforts were from distance. Words were obviously exchanged at the break and they were just brilliant in the second half. Simeone will obviously be delighted with five goals, but the quality of the strikes were also of the highest order, with Koke, who scored in addition to registering three assists, running the show. Malmo caused some problems from set pieces and on the counter attack, but there was not really a period of the match where the hosts were not in control. Question marks have been raised whether they can challenge for the Champions League again this season and while tougher tests are ahead, they will cause problems to any team in Europe in this sort of form.
Malmo's performance
Many teams travel to the Vicente Calderon and create very little in terms of chances, but Malmo did have their bright moments this evening. They registered nine attempts in total, four of which were on target, with Atletico stopper Miguel Moya forced into making a number of smart saves. That said, their capitulation in the second half cannot be excused. It was always going to be tough after falling 1-0 behind three minutes into the second period, but by the 63rd minute, they were 3-0 down. The game was over at that point, but some sloppy defending cost them two more goals late on. They have showed that they can perform at this level - beating an impressive Olympiacos side last time out - but their second-half performance this evening was not good enough for a side in the Champions League.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Koke: The Spanish midfielder was in magical form this evening. He scored the first with a brilliant finish following excellent build-up play, while he set up three more goals in the second period. The youngster caused so many problems with his delivery from set pieces, while his touch and passing were just terrific. It does not take a genius to realise why the playmaker is in such high demand all around Europe.
Biggest gaffe
Malmo's defending for Atletico's fifth this evening was very disappointing. Cerci, who came on as a late substitute, curled one against the crossbar in stoppage time, but still had time to collect the rebound and finish into the bottom corner. It wasn't as if the Italian was a couple of yards out, yet he still had time to take a touch and finish. Too many defenders went to sleep in the final stages of the contest.
Referee performance
Overall, it was a fairly uneventful night for referee Matej Jug. The Slovenian issued just the three yellow cards - one of which came to Malmo skipper Markus Rosenberg, who was adjudged to have dived inside the Atletico box. That was the only major decision for the official, who allowed the play to flow in the correct areas and was always on the scene when needed.
What next?
Atletico: The Spanish champions return to league action at home to Getafe on Sunday evening. Their next Champions League match is away to Malmo on November 4.
Malmo: Malmo, who have already won the Swedish title, face Brommapojkarna in the league on Monday evening. As mentioned, they welcome Atletico in their next European match at the start of November.
Matt Law
