Fernando Torres and Tiago were both on the scoresheet as Atletico Madrid beat Getafe 2-0 in La Liga on Saturday.
Both of the goals came in the first period, with Torres registering his first league goal since returning to the club.
Atletico remain fourth in the table, six points off leaders Barcelona, while Getafe are still just four points clear of the relegation zone in 13th position.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action in Madrid.
Match statistics
ATLETICO
Shots: 15
On target: 6
Possession: 55%
Corners: 10
Fouls: 10
GETAFE
Shots: 5
On target: 1
Possession: 44%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 16
Was the result fair?
There are matches in football known as routine home victories and that was the case in Madrid here. Atletico bossed the game from start to finish and the only surprise is that they did not win by more than the two goals. It was the type of match where Getafe needed to start well if they were to stand a chance of causing a surprise, but the visitors trailed inside three minutes when Torres headed a Koke free kick into the top corner. From that moment, it was all Atletico and, but for some poor finishing, they would have been three or four goals ahead inside 20 minutes. Koke hit the post before bringing a fine save out of Vicente Guaita, while Raul Jimenez also had a couple of excellent opportunities. At 1-0, Getafe would have been in the game, but Atletico doubled their lead late in the first period courtesy of a Tiago header.
Getafe improved in the second period, but that was mainly down to Atletico's own standards dropping. Pedro Leon and Alvaro Vasquez remained Getafe's best chance of making the breakthrough, but Atletico were so strong at the heart of their defence and repelled the danger from their local rivals. Statistics rarely paint a false picture in football and the fact that Atletico had 10 more shots and five more on target is an indication of their dominance. Getafe only managed one attempt on target all afternoon and there is no question that they deserved to leave with nothing.
Atletico's performance
Atletico might have booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday, but they entered this match off the back of three successive league draws. Valencia's 4-0 win at Elche on Friday, meanwhile, meant that Diego Simeone's side were four points off third, let alone out of touch with the top two. It was vital that they started well to ease some of the nerves and that was indeed the case as Torres finally opened his league account for the season. Mario Mandzukic missed the game through injury, but Torres, in addition to Jimenez, caused Getafe a number of problems. They really should have been three or four ahead fairly early after exerting a great amount of pressure, but it took until the 44th minute to double their tally as Tiago killed off any chance that Getafe might have had.
While Simeone will be delighted with his team's attacking prowess, defensively the hosts were also excellent. Miranda missed out through suspension, leaving Jose Gimenez to start alongside Diego Godin in central defence and the pair were excellent. Jesus Gamez, who has had a new lease of life recently, also had a strong match as Getafe struggled to make their mark at the Vicente Calderon. It was always the type of game where the points were more important than the performance, but Simeone got both here. They are not ready to relinquish their league title just yet after closing the gap on leaders Barcelona to six points.
Getafe's performance
A number of managers have been guilty of being far too defensive at the Calderon this season, but Getafe boss Pablo Franco sent out an attacking team in Madrid. Leading scorer Vasquez was supported by both Leon and Fredy Hinestroza, while Pablo Sarabia had been given licence to break forward when possible. Franco would have wanted a quick start from his side, but they fell behind just three minutes in, which made their task extremely difficult. As soon as the goal went in, Sarabia dropped deeper, which left Vasquez isolated on too many occasions. Defensively, they were all over the place in the first period, with Emiliano Velazquez, who is on loan at Getafe from Atletico, finding it difficult against his parent club. Trailing 1-0 at the interval would have been a good result based on what occurred in the opening half, but any hope of a comeback ended when Atletico scored a second goal moments before the break.
Getafe improved in the second period, but they never made the most of their chances. They did not have many sights of goal - registering just one attempt on target all game - but they had a number of free kicks in dangerous areas. Leon was tasked with providing quality from their set pieces, but the Spaniard really disappointed. Baba Diawara and Karim Yoda were both sent on in a bid to hurt Atletico in behind, but the latter only lasted 11 minutes before picking up what appeared to be a nasty injury. It is difficult to be too critical of Getafe for their approach and work rate in the second period, but they ultimately did not do anywhere near enough to unnerve their neighbours.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Koke: Oh how Atletico have missed the Spaniard. Koke recently returned from injury and his contribution to the team is quite extraordinary for a player that is still just 23 years of age. The midfielder set up his side's first goal with an excellent free kick, while he came close on a couple of occasions himself - hitting the post and testing Guaita from close range in the first period. He remained a threat in the second period, every time he was allowed time on the ball. It was a masterclass from such a talented player.
Biggest gaffe
Atletico are known as one of the most dangerous teams from set pieces in world football, but Getafe continually gave away free kicks outside their own box. Both of the home side's goals came from set pieces, which will make it even more galling for Getafe boss Franco. On too many occasions, the visitors were rash with their challenges in areas that Atletico have exploited all season.
Referee performance
Referee Juan Martinez had a very comfortable afternoon in the capital. There were a couple of strong challenges - as expected in a derby game - but Martinez was always on hand to calm proceedings. The official issued just the four yellow cards and was not seen for long spells.
What next?
Atletico: Atletico will attempt to continue their unbeaten run in the league when they travel to basement side Cordoba on April 4.
Getafe: Getafe, meanwhile, welcome Deportivo La Coruna on April 5.
Matt Law
