Antoine Griezmann bagged a hat-trick as Atletico Madrid thrashed Sevilla 5-2 at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium to cut Barcelona's lead at the top of La Liga to seven points this evening.
Heading into the match on a run of seven games unbeaten, Atleti took a 2-0 lead into the second period and completed the rout thanks to two more Griezmann strikes, one of which came from the penalty spot, and a Koke goal, with the Sevillanos adding two consolations in the final five minutes.
The hosts should have taken the lead in the third minute when Joaquin Correa's through-ball sent Luis Muriel clear on goal, but Atleti's in-form goalkeeper Jan Oblak raced off his line and blocked the Colombian international's effort, while Correa curled his follow-up wide.
Diego Simeone's side broke the deadlock on the half-hour mark, with Diego Costa doing the damage just seconds after he was cautioned for a foul on Clement Lenglet.
Miscommunication and a poor exchange between Sevilla goalkeeper Sergio Rico and Ever Banega put the striker clean through on goal, and he punished them by rifling one straight into the bottom corner to make it 1-0.
Atleti doubled their lead three minutes before half time thanks to quick thinking from Griezmann, who pounced onto Lenglet's headed clearance, took a touch and let fly with his right boot, powering an unstoppable strike straight into the top corner, leaving Rico swiping at air.
Sevilla's hopes of mounting a fighback were dented six minutes into the second half when Rico brought down Costa in the penalty area, allowing Griezmann to step up and tuck his second of the night into the bottom corner.
The home side's defending was questionable all evening, and they gifted Simeone's men with another just after the hour when Gabriel Mercado's stray backpass unleashed Griezmann in the box, allowing the Frenchman to square a pass across the face of goal for Koke to poke over the line and put Atleti out of sight.
The France international was denied a hat-trick in the 67th minute as he exchanged passes with Saul before pulling the trigger, his curling effort finding its way beyond Rico, only to come back off the upright.
Griezmann did complete his treble nine minutes from time, though, and Saul was the provider, surging down the left flank unchallenged before rolling the ball to the striker in front of goal, allowing him to place it into the empty net.
Atletico took their foot off the accelerator in the closing stages and grew somewhat complacent, letting in two late goals, the first of which came when substitute Wissam Ben Yedder was given too much space inside the box, allowing him to line up Pablo Sarabia for an easy finish from close range.
Former Manchester City man Nolito added a second consolation moments later, beating Oblak at his near post in the dying stages, but his strike will have done little to appease the minority of home supporters who were still in the stands by this point.
The win sees Atletico consolidate their position in second place in La Liga, while Sevilla remain in sixth.
SEVILLA (4-2-3-1): Rico; Lenglet, Mercado, Escudero, Navas (Layun 18'); N'Zonzi, Banega; Vasquez (Nolito, 70'), Correa (Ben Yedder, 60'), Sarabia; Muriel
ATLETICO MADRID (4-4-2): Oblak; Godin, Gimenez, Luis, Vrsaljko; Gabi, Thomas (Correa, 64'), Koke (Vitolo, 71'), Niguez; Costa (Gameiro, 76'), Griezmann
Mark Langshaw
