La Liga: Hercules 4 Atletico 1

Hercules moved up to 11th on the La Liga table after humbling Atletico Madrid 4-1 at the Estadio Jose Rico Perez on Monday.

The newly promoted side have proved more than capable of matching it with the best Spanish football has to offer, and added Atletico to their list of big-name scalps with a dominant first-half display.

Jorge Tote, Nelson Haedo Valdez, Olivier Thomert and former Juventus striker David Trezeguet all got their names on the scoresheet in the first half as Hercules wrapped up the points in front of their home fans, with a late goal from Jose Antonio Reyes the only positive for Atletico.

Hercules, the only side to have defeated league-leaders Barcelona this season, went ahead on 10 minutes when Tote beat Atletico goalkeeper David de Gea at his near post from an acute angle.

Valdez extended the hosts’ advantage with a superb solo effort in the 23rd minute, blasting a dipping shot over de Gea and into the top corner of the goal.

Thomert made it 3-0 just past the half-hour mark when he rose highest to nod home Francisco Pena’s cross, before Trezeguet completed a dominant first half when he fired home from the edge of the area after being played in by Tote.

Both sides hit the woodwork in the early stages of the second half as more goals looked likely, but it was not until the 89th minute that Reyes intercepted a pass near the goal-line and beat Juan Catalayud with a low shot.

The result moves Hercules up to 11th on the table, just five points behind sixth-place Atletico.