Goals from Jose Gimenez and Mario Mandzukic helped Atletico Madrid beat Elche 2-0 in La Liga on Saturday afternoon.
Elche caused the Spanish champions problems for periods of the match, but could not break through a stern defence, with the three points moving Atletico above Barcelona and into second position in the table.
Here, Sports Mole takes a look at how each individual player performed during the La Liga clash.
ELCHE
Goal
Przemyslaw Tyton: Made a couple of decent saves and looked confident from crosses, but will be disappointed to have conceded to Mandzukic at his near post. (6/10)
Defence
Damian Suarez: Did not take long to form an early grudge against Mandzukic. Had a solid enough afternoon, but did not really feature in the final third. (6/10)
Enzo Roco: Was caught ball watching when Atletico opened the scoring, but did recover to produce a solid performance. Picked up a booking in stoppage time. (6/10)
David Lomban: Looked a little leggy when Atletico broke with the pace in the final third, but did make some crucial blocks, especially in the second period. (6/10)
Domingo Cisma: Struggled to deal with the guile of Arda Turan in the first 45 minutes. Had a better second period, but did not offer much in the final third of the field. (6/10)
Midfield
Faycal Fajr: Tested Miguel Moya with a looping effort in the first period and looked his side's most dangerous player for long spells of the contest. (7/10)
Pedro Mosquera: Looked the player capable of sliding passes beyond the Atletico defence, but never really saw enough of the ball to make his influence known. (6/10)
Mario Pasalic: Tasked with supporting his back four, but was moved all over the pitch. Was the first player to be subbed just 15 minutes into the second period. (6/10)
Attack
Victor Rodriguez: Arguably his side's best player in the first period, with his running and movement causing problems, but faded in the second 45 minutes. (6/10)
Jonathas: A shade fortunate not to be sent off after taking some risks while on a yellow. Looked dangerous in attack, but was guilty of arguing with the referee on too many occasions. (6/10)
Coro: Was tasked with supporting Jonathas in the final third of the field, but struggled to make his mark. Left the field after just 66 minutes. (5/10)
Substitutes
Cristian Herrera: Certainly brought a different dimension to the Elche attack, but had the same problem as Jonathas - a lack of quality service in the final third. (6/10)
Franco Fragapane: Was introduced in place of Coro after 66 minutes, but the 21-year-old struggled to make his mark against one of the best defences in European football. (5/10)
Alvaro Gimenez: Given the final five minutes, but did not have much of an impact. (5/10)
ATLETICO
Goal
Miguel Moya: Did not have much to do, but did well to claw away a looping effort from Fajr. Continues to look the part between the sticks for the champions. (6/10)
Defence
Juanfran: Not as involved in an attacking sense as previous matches, but was defensively sound. Now one of the best right-backs in European football. (7/10)
Diego Godin: Without his usual centre-back partner Miranda, but guided Gimenez expertly. Recent transfer talk did not seem to faze the 28-year-old. (7/10)
Jose Gimenez: Man-of-the-match performance from the youngster, who was excellent defensively and opened the scoring with a rasping first-half effort. (8/10)
Guilherme Siqueira: Struggled to settle at Atletico in the early weeks of the season, but has been impressive in recent games. Was up and down the left for the entirety of the match. (7/10)
Midfield
Gabi: Set up Mandzukic for Atletico's second with a peach of a pass, and controlled the tempo in the middle of the park. A captain's performance from the Spaniard. (7/10)
Koke: Has provided so many assists this season that it is a surprise when he doesn't. Still had a positive effect on the match for the visitors. (7/10)
Tiago: Kept it neat and tidy in the middle of the park. Solid performance from the Portuguese midfielder, without pulling up too many trees. (6/10)
Attack
Arda Turan: Another classy performance from the Turkish international. Set up Gimenez for Atletico's first with a clever pass and always looked a threat in the final third. (8/10)
Mario Mandzukic: Had a frustrating first period, but netted his side's second just eight minutes into the second period. Continues to grow with each passing match. (7/10)
Raul Garcia: Brought into the XI in place of Antoine Griezmann, but not one of his best matches. Did some good running, but has played much better this season. (6/10)
Substitutes
Antoine Griezmann: Showed a good attitude in his 15 minutes on the field and helped Atletico stretch the match in the latter stages. (6/10)
Raul Jimenez: Led the line in the final 10 minutes after replacing Turan, but did not see too much of the ball. Will need time to fully settle at the Vicente Calderon. (5/10)
Matt Law
