La Liga: Atlético Madrid increase lead after Real Madrid draw

Atlético ended its winless run by routing last-place Eibar 5-0, then saw city rival Real Madrid held 0-0 by Getafe

Madrid: After seeing rivals gradually cut into its lead, Atlético Madrid finally got some breathing room at the top of the Spanish league. Atlético ended its winless run by routing last-place Eibar 5-0, then saw city rival Real Madrid held 0-0 by Getafe.

Those results gave Atlético a three-point lead over second-place Madrid, and a five-point cushion over third-place Barcelona, which has a game in hand after winning the Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

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Madrid had moved within a point of the lead after beating Barcelona in the previous round. Atlético was coming off a loss to Sevilla and a 1-1 draw against Real Betis. Ángel Correa and Marcos Llorente scored two goals each and Yannick Carrasco added another as Atlético routed Eibar at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. Simeone’s team easily won despite playing without Luis Suárez and João Félix because of injuries.

Correa, one of the players who came in to replace the injured regular starters, broke the deadlock with a goal from close range in the 42nd minute, then quickly added to the lead after a nice turn to clear a defender inside the area in the 44th.

Carrasco scored the third goal in a breakaway in the 49th, then Llorente got the fourth from inside the box in the 53rd and the fifth from close range in the 68th.