LAST YEAR’S RUNNERS-UP Atletico Madrid moved a step closer to qualifying for the last 16 of this season’s Champions League with a comfortable 5-0 win over Malmo at the Vicente Calderon to go top of Group A.
It took the Spanish champions until after half-time to make the breakthrough, but once Koke had finished off a fine team move to open the scoring there was little doubt Diego Simeone’s men were headed for victory.
Two goals in two minutes from Mario Mandzukic — his 19th in 23 Champions League appearances — and Antoine Griezmann just after the hour mark made the game safe before late goals from Diego Godin and Alessio Cerci rounded off the scoring.
Previous leaders Juventus slumped to a 1-0 loss at Olympiakos with Swiss midfielder Pajtim Kasami scoring a first half winner.
In Group C, 10-man Bayer Leverkusen went top with a 2-0 win over Andre Villas-Boas’ Zenit St Petersburg to claim a second straight victory.
Monaco’s goalless draw at home to Benfica means Leverkusen took over at the top, despite having lost their opening match at Monaco before beating Benfica at the BayArena.
Defenders Giulio Donati and Kyriakos Papadopoulos scored the Germans’ goals.
Leverkusen were forced to play the final ten minutes a man down after Brazilian left-back Wendell was sent off for a second yellow-card.
