Atletico Madrid moved four points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid with a thumping 4-0 win over their capital rivals on Saturday.

It is the first time since the 1998-99 season that Atletico have beaten Real in the league at the Vicente Calderon.

First-half goals from Tiago and Saul Niguez gave the hosts a healthy advantage before Antoine Griezmann and Mario Mandzukic netted in the second 45 minutes.

Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action in the Spanish capital.

Match statistics

ATLETICO
Shots: 17
On target: 8
Possession: 45%
Corners: 2
Fouls: 16

REAL
Shots: 4
On target: 1
Possession: 55%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 17

Was the result fair?

There is no question that Atletico deserved to run out clear and indeed comfortable winners at the Vicente Calderon. Real Madrid's squad has been depleted by injuries and suspensions over the last week and the league leaders were second best by some distance. From the first whistle, Atletico were on the front foot and opened the scoring after 14 minutes during a period where Real were all over the place in defensive areas. The home side's second arrived after 18 minutes when Saul scored an excellent bicycle kick, but the excepted response from Carlo Ancelotti's side just did not occur.

Los Blancos did improve in the second period in terms of possession in the final third of the field, but the fact that they registered just one shot on target is a demonstration of their struggles. Defensively, they were really poor, while their attackers also went missing, which will be extremely worrying for supporters of the league leaders. Atletico might have been happy with a 2-0 win last season, but the home side went for more here and were rewarded with two more goals in the second period. It was a truly outstanding performance from the champions, who knew that they could not afford to lose the match.

Atletico's performance

Despite Atletico's strong form against Real Madrid in recent matches, they had not beaten their capital rivals at the Calderon in the league since the 1998-99 campaign. Well, they ended that disappointing statistic in style. Diego Simeone's side have struggled against Barcelona in recent games, but they have Real's number and victory here made it a league double over their rivals this season. Some will argue that a 4-0 score was a little harsh on Real, but Atletico were quite comfortably the better side at the - having 17 attempts to Real's four.

Koke was forced off with an injury in the early stages, but his replacement Saul had a super match. Griezmann and Mandzukic also proved too hot for Real's defence, while Miranda and Diego Godin returned to their best in the centre of defence. Atletico's recent wins over Real have been extremely difficult matches, but that was not really the case here. They dominated, but were up against a team that was some way short of their best. Had Simeone's side lost then they would have been 10 points off the pace, but they are now right in the mix with a large chunk of the season remaining. In this form, there is no question that the capital outfit are good enough to retain the title and advance deep into the Champions League.

Real's performance

It would take some research to pick out a Real Madrid performance that was as disappointing as this one. Ancelotti will argue that he was without a number of key players at the Calderon, with James Rodriguez, Luka Modric, Sergio Ramos, Pepe and Marcelo five players that would be in the Italian's first-choice XI, but the performance was just not good enough. Defensively, the visitors were poor, with Nacho and Fabio Coentrao looking like players that have struggled for football this season. In midfield, Sami Khedira was off the pace, while Isco and Toni Kroos also struggled to impact proceedings.

Further forward, there were also serious problems. Cristiano Ronaldo, on his return from suspension, was extremely isolated, while Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema also had poor afternoons. Incredibly, Real had just four attempts - only one of which was on target and that came late on through Asier Illarramendi. All over the park, Real were beaten. They struggled to a 2-1 win over Sevilla during the week, but the same problems were apparent here. They remain top of the table - four points clear of Barcelona and Atletico - but there is no question that they have struggled in 2015. Ancelotti will be expected to deliver the league title this season, but his team must seriously improve in the weeks ahead.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Saul Niguez: The Atletico midfielder neither started nor finished the match, but he made such a big contribution. The Spaniard replaced Koke inside the first 10 minutes before leaving with an injury himself late in the match. However, he had already made an impact. The 20-year-old scored his side's second with a sensational overhead kick before setting up Griezmann for goal number three in the second period. It was an excellent display from such a young man, who looks to have a bright future ahead of him.

Biggest gaffe

Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has actually had an impressive season after facing much criticism in the summer for his performances at the World Cup. However, the veteran made a howler for Atletico's first goal in this match. Tiago's effort from the edge of the box was on target, but it lacked power. The Portuguese managed to find the back of the net, however, as Casillas allowed the ball to slip through his fingers. It summed up what was a really poor afternoon for the league leaders.

Referee performance

For a capital derby, referee David Fernandez actually had a fairly routine 90 minutes. The Spanish official issued just two yellow cards in the first period, but that number rose to seven in the second half. There were a couple of penalty appeals, but neither carried any weight and Fernandez remained in control throughout the afternoon. Overall, neither manager will have any complaints about the official's involvement, which is always good in these type of matches, where emotions run high.

What next?

Atletico: Next up for Atletico is a trip to Celta Vigo next Sunday.

Real: Los Blancos welcome Deportivo La Coruna next Saturday.