Having gone a goal down in the early first half, Diego Simeone showed his masterclass as his team prowess dismantle the heartrobe Malaga in a more fashionable way.
Yannick Ferreira Carrasco’s first career hat-trick helped Atletico Madrid emphatically reverse a shock early deficit to overpower winless Granada 7-1 and ensure Lucas Alcaraz’s third spell in charge began with defeat.
Granada, who parted company with Paco Jemez before the international break, threatened an upset when Isaac Cuenca’s superb 18th-minute strike put them ahead at the Vicente Calderon.
But the hosts were eventually stirred from their stupor and, having been toppled from LaLiga’s summit by the earlier wins for Sevilla and Barcelona, fought back to lead by the break.
Carrasco capitalised on some questionable goalkeeping to level in the 34th minute and was the beneficiary of a kind deflection in the dying embers of the first half.
Simeone’s men, unbeaten in all competitions this season, put the contest to bed with a rampant second-half showing, Carrasco sweeping home his third and substitute Nicolas Gaitan netting a brace.
That left Angel Correa and Tiago to complete the rout as the size of the task facing Alcaraz was made all too clear.