Atletico get back to winning ways

Madrid giants Atletico Madrid got their season back on track by thumping RCD Espanyol 4-0 at the Vicente Calderon on Sunday.

Europe’s much-coveted striker Sergio Aguero was the star of the show, scoring two and making two, for strike partner Diego Forlan and Maxi Rodriguez, as the hosts claimed just their second win of an underwhelming season so far.

The young Argentinian, who this week insisted he has no intention of quitting the Rojiblancos in the January transfer window, ran Espanyol ragged with the visitors’ frustration manifesting itself in the late dismissal of Facundo Roncaglia.

Atletico started brightly, Simao Sabrosa firing over the bar after 10 minutes.

The hosts were dominating possession but creating little. That changed in the 22nd minute, however, when they came within inches of taking a deserved lead.

Aguero cut the ball back from the left and Jose Reyes flashed in a shot which brought a smart, parried save out of Carlos Kameni. The rebound also fell to Reyes but the former Sevilla, Arsenal and Real Madrid star’s follow-up was deflected on to the post by the Cameroon goalkeeper.

The home side finally made the breakthrough five minutes later.

Aguero cut in from the right, played a neat one-two with Reyes and, before he could square it across the box, was challenged from the side by Moises Hurtado. Hurtado’s intervention cut out the advancing Kameni and the ball fell nicely for Forlan to stab home from 12 yards.

The Uruguayan ought to have made it 2-0 just before the half-hour mark. Tomas Ujfalusi whipped in a wonderful cross from the right but Forlan could only head wide from eight yards with Kameni woefully out of position.

The impressive Reyes could have scored two minutes before half-time but shot wide from close range.

Atletico also dominated the start of the second half and they added a second 17 minutes in.

Reyes was fouled by Shunsuke Nakamura and, from 25 yards out, Aguero curled a right-footed free-kick around the wall and inside Kameni’s near post.

Espanyol finally responded and began to emerge as an attacking force.

They had a number of corners but failed to seriously trouble home keeper Sergio Asenjo, with their best effort a low, driven effort from Ferran Coro which was simple for Asenjo to gather on his knees.

The visitors’ pressure eventually petered out and their hopes of taking anything back to Barcelona were effectively dashed when centre-half Roncaglia was sent off.

Already on a yellow card, the Argentinian, on loan from Boca Juniors, needlessly barged Aguero over when the striker was running away from goal and received his second booking.

From the ensuing free-kick, Aguero made it 3-0. Simao curled it in and, after Espanyol failed to clear, Aguero was on hand to stab home at the second attempt after his first shot had hit the post and trickled across the line.

With the pressure finally lifted, Atletico completed the rout with two minutes to go. The irrepressible Aguero burst down the left, using his pace and power to get away from his markers before crossing for Maxi to tap in at the far post.