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  Antoine Griezmann stars for Atletico

Antoine Griezmann stars for Atletico

AFP
Published : Sep 19, 2016, 2:18 am IST
Updated : Sep 19, 2016, 2:18 am IST

Sporting Gijon’s Nacho Cases (left) vies for the ball with Atletico Madrid’s Filipe Luis in their Li Liga game at the Vicente Calderon Stadium in Madrid on Saturday. Atletico won 5-0. (Photo: AFP)

Sporting Gijon’s Nacho Cases (left) vies for the ball with Atletico Madrid’s Filipe Luis in their Li Liga game at the Vicente Calderon Stadium in Madrid on Saturday. Atletico won 5-0. (Photo: AFP)

Antoine Griezmann and Fernando Torres struck twice as Atletico Madrid moved into fourth in La Liga with their third win of the week in a 5-0 rout of Sporting Gijon.

Atletico travel to face Barcelona next on Wednesday.

Atletico will travel to the Catalan capital in midweek full of confidence after a mauling of Sporting registered their first home win of the season.

Griezmann took just two minutes to open the scoring when he raced onto Kevin Gameiro’s through ball before composing himself to slot past Ivan Cuellar.

Gameiro lashed home his first Atletico goal from open play following a 30 million euro ($33.6 million) move from Sevilla just three minutes later.

Not to be outdone by his French international teammate, Griezmann then unleashed a stunning effort of his own from outside the box to make it 3-0 after just half an hour.

Atletico boss Diego Simeone, who shortened his contract from 2020 to 2018 in midweek, replaced Griezmann with Torres early in the second-half with one eye on his side’s upcoming trip the Camp Nou.

“For me he was the best player in Europe last season,” Simeone said of Griezmann after his second double in as many La Liga games.

“That consistency will only serve to make him stronger.”

Torres made it 4-0 with a neat near-post finish from Angel Correa’s cross before rounding off the scoring from the penalty spot after Nicolas Gaitan had been felled inside the area.

Sevilla missed the chance to go top as they surrendered a lead against nine-man Eibar to draw 1-1 at Ipurua.

Location: Spain, Madrid