Atletico Madrid vs. Astana: Winners and Losers from Champions League Game
Atletico Madrid crushed Kazakhstani side FC Astana at the Vicente Calderon to go to the top of Champions League Group C.
Goals from Saul, Jackson Martinez, Oliver Torres and an own goal by Denys Dedechko gave Diego Simeone's side the precious three points.
It helped them bounce back from defeat at home by Benfica in their previous match in this competition, with the Portuguese side falling away at Galatasaray on Wednesday night to blow the group wide open.
Here are the winners and losers from Atletico's clash.
Winner: Jackson Martinez
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It felt like "liberation." That's what Martinez said after the game, in which he scored for the first time in eight matches for Atletico Madrid.
The striker explained, per Sport: "It was like a liberation, after what had happened in previous clashes. I was calm, but the goal did not come. Now I hope to continue in the same way."
Martinez had worked hard for Atletico over many of the previous games but was denied or was profligate in front of goal.
The Colombian hitman should have doubled Atletico's 1-0 advantage in the previous European clash with Benfica, but his strike hit the post, and his side ended up losing.
Here it seemed like luck was against him again when a goal of his was ruled offside, one which again would have given his side a two-goal cushion, but soon it didn't matter.
Martinez turned in the box and with the aid of a small deflection, fired past Astana goalkeeper Nenad Eric and into the net.
This could be a turning point for his career with the Rojiblancos.
Loser: Fernando Torres
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By contrast to Martinez, Fernando Torres didn't have a great time of it.
Left on the bench when it had seemed likely he would start, the striker was brought on in the second half but spurned a great chance when sent through on Eric's goal.
The stopper made a good save, but Torres should have done better with the opportunity.
He has been waiting for six games to score what will be his 100th goal for the Rojiblancos, and given Martinez's impressive performance, he may start on the bench at the weekend against Valencia too.
That is a crunch clash for Atletico, who will begin preparing on Thursday for the visit of their Champions League rivals.
Winner: Diego Simeone
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Atletico earned a shaky win away at Real Sociedad at the weekend, failing to play well, so a good performance was needed against Astana.
And Simeone's side delivered, never letting the visitors rest and entertaining the crowd at the Vicente Calderon.
Simeone brought on Torres at half-time, and it was just what the doctor ordered, with the youngster providing extra thrust for the hosts, which Tiago could not offer.
Torres netted Atletico's third goal, daintily dinking the ball home. He said after the game, per Sport, that it was a boost to his confidence.
The player has bought into Simeone's team philosophy and said: "The truth is I'm happy with the goal, which is good for personal confidence, but above all I'm happy with the three points. I work every day, so that when I have the chance I can help the team. The individual must work for the collective to be able to do something big."
That will be music to the ears of the Argentine coach, who knows that if his squad follow his lead, there will be chances to win silverware.
Loser: Denys Dedechko
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For a professional footballer, it's bad enough to take a beating during a game, let alone contributing to it.
Astana's Dedechko found the net late on. But it was his own one, unfortunately, to put gloss on the scoreline for Atletico Madrid.
Juanfran's low ball in from the right was dangerous, and the defender decided to try to cut it out, with Torres lurking. But he ended up sliding it past his goalkeeper and into the goal.
It capped a disappointing night for him and his team, who now know they have a flight of more than nine hours to get back home.
The only consolation is that Atletico will have to make the same journey in a fortnight's time, and it will be a chance for Dedechko to get revenge.
Winner: Antoine Griezmann
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Antoine Griezmann didn't score, but he showed once again why he's such a coveted player.
The French forward led the line with Martinez, but like his strike partner, he worked tirelessly when not in possession.
Of course, he's better when he is, and he saw an early, acrobatic effort skip over the bar, but not by much.
Then he fed Saul, who should have scored, but instead he shot into the side-netting.
When a player finds the net, it's too easy to praise them after the game; sometimes performances like this one by Griezmann need to be highlighted.
He'll be pleased with Simeone's praise too, with the Argentine saying before the game that he can't understand why Griezmann hasn't been nominated for the Ballon d'Or.
