Atletico Madrid provide both a trick and a treat

Atletico Madrid provided their long suffering fans with both a trick and a treat on the night before Halloween by giving Real Sociedad a 4-0 thrashing.

The home side's second goal, which put them firmly in the driving seat, was highly controversial but there could be no complaints about the rest, which gave Atletico their third consecutive victory.

It was the first time Atletico had managed to string together three victories since their return to the top flight of the Spanish first division at the start of last season.

Real Sociedad have only themselves to blame for their demise with their yawning gaps at the back providing an open invitation for Atletico's strike force to enjoy themselves.

Demis Nikolaidis took full advantage to open the scoring after 18 minutes.

The Greek international picked up a perfect pass from Jorge Larena-Avellaneda on the edge of the area and rounded the advancing Sociedad keeper Sander Westerveld before booting the ball into an empty net.

Sociedad had a chance to equalise shortly after the break when an Atletico defensive mix up left Mikel Aranburu with a open goal but he blasted the ball over the bar.

A few minutes later came the turning point of the game.

Sociedad's lax defending left Fernando Torres open on the right edge of the box and Westerveld was left with no option but to commit himself and try to grab the ball from the feet of the oncoming striker.

Torres fell, and referee Rafael Ramirez Dominguez signalled a penalty, which Atletico's teenage captain duly converted but many observers were convinced that Torres had dived, a tactic for which he has become notorious.

Westerveld certainly felt Torres had cheated but all the Dutchman got was a yellow card for his complaints.

There can be no question marks though over the legality of Torres' second goal after 64 minutes, a thunderbolt header from 10 metres gave him his fifth goal of the season.

The rout was completed by Diego Simone, a hero of Atletico's Spanish league and Cup double winning side of 1995-96, ten minutes from time.

The Argentine international headed home Alvaro Novo's corner for his first league goal since he returned to the club in the summer after six year absence.

The victory sees Atletico move up to eighth, once place ahead of Real Sociedad, with 13 points from nine games.

Deportivo La Coruna lead the league with 21 points, one point ahead of both Real Madrid and Valencia, who are second and third respectively.

Spanish football league table after Thursday's match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):