Atlético Madrid crush Osasuna and arrive flying for the derby

Atlético Madrid produced a complete performance at the Metropolitano and will head into the derby against Real Madrid with sky-high confidence. On a weekday with an unusual kick-off time, the rojiblanco faithful packed the stands and were treated to an attacking exhibition from their team, who never dropped their intensity and ended up thrashing Osasuna with overwhelming superiority.

• Atlético Madrid thrashed Osasuna at the Metropolitano with relentless attacking from start to finish.
• Jonathan David scored again and is proving himself as a reliable striker in the absence of Sorloth and Julián Alvarez.
• Kang-in Lee, Lookman and the full-backs Llorente and Grimaldo all shone in Simeone's system.
• The rojiblanco fans left the stadium full of optimism for Sunday's derby.
• The contrast with Real Madrid is clear: Los Blancos struggled in Elche and arrive surrounded by controversy.

A big win built on non-stop attacking football

The match at the Metropolitano kicked off with a magnificent crowd for a seven o'clock game on a working day. The Atlético fans, already sensing the derby, came looking for reasons to face it with optimism and Cholo gave them plenty. Simeone rested several regular starters and the team did not suffer in the slightest: it was a continuous flow of attacking play that never stopped, not after the first goal, nor the second, nor the third, nor the fourth.

The big win leaves no room for debate and the only negative note was the disallowed Osasuna goal. The referee decided to rule out the visitors' strike for a reason only he knows, but Atlético's superiority was so crushing and they created so many chances that the incident does not change the analysis. The Madrid side were far better from start to finish and left an image far removed from the one Real Madrid showed on their visit to Elche.

Jonathan David steps up as Atlético's centre forward

With Sorloth and Julián Alvarez out of the squad, Canadian striker Jonathan David proved once again that he is a valid centre forward for this Atlético side. He scored again and showed that he moves well in the box, is an insistent finisher and has real accuracy in front of goal. His presence in the area gives the team a constant and reliable attacking reference when the two first-choice strikers are missing.

He was not the only one to shine. Kang-in Lee was excellent on the right and Lookman, once he regained his position on the left, looked dangerous again. The full-back contributions of Llorente and Grimaldo, the ever-threatening talent of Baena and some excellent deep passes from Johnny Cardoso completed an afternoon in which Atlético delighted their fans.

What Atlético have at stake in the derby against Real Madrid

Sunday's derby arrives at a key moment in the season. Atlético want to consolidate their position at the top of LaLiga and a win against Real Madrid would carry double value: three points and a psychological blow to their biggest rival. The rojiblanco fans, who had been demanding constant attacking football, left the Metropolitano with the feeling that their team can compete with anyone if they maintain this level.

The question is whether Simeone will stick with the same attacking approach on Sunday or retreat into his classic back three. It is obvious that some of the players who only came on at the end will start, including Giuliano, and it is likely that the Argentine coach will shore up the defence to contain Real Madrid. Either way, the positive impression remains and the rojiblanco dressing room heads into the derby full of belief.

The contrast with Real Madrid: suffering in Elche and Vinicius controversy

While Atlético were winning big and convincing, Real Madrid were scraping a narrow win in Elche and returned wrapped in controversy over the behaviour of Vinicius, Mbappé and Konaté. It is an ugly, uncomfortable and slippery issue, and it leaves Los Blancos dealing with extra tension before their visit to the Metropolitano.

The contrast between the two teams could not be clearer: the rojiblancos arrive with a big win, a delighted crowd and an attacking style that excites; Los Blancos arrive with a hard-fought victory and a controversy that threatens to distract the dressing room. The derby is shaping up as a clash of completely opposite dynamics.

Key talking points from Atlético vs Osasuna

Relentless attacking as a trademark

Atlético did not settle for the first goal and kept attacking for the full 90 minutes. That constant attacking play is exactly what the fans demand from Cholo and what the team delivered against Osasuna. The big win was the logical result of a brave and ambitious approach.

Aitor Fernández prevented an even bigger scoreline

The Osasuna goalkeeper made half a dozen outstanding saves and justified Ramis' decision to make a change in goal. The big win came through no fault of Aitor Fernández, who was one of his team's best players and prevented the scoreline from being even more lopsided.

Frequently asked questions about Atlético and the derby