Atletico blitz Osasuna to boost top-four ambitions

Soccer Football - La Liga Santander - Osasuna v Atletico Madrid - El Sadar Stadium, Pamplona, Spain - June 17, 2020 Atletico Madrid's Yannick Carrasco celebrates scoring their fifth goal with Alvaro Morata, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) REUTERS/Vincent West

Atletico Madrid hammered Osasuna 5-0 away from home in La Liga on Wednesday to secure their biggest win of the season and give a huge boost to their chances of qualifying for the Champions League.

Atleti's record signing Joao Felix put the visiting side ahead by arriving in the box and drilling the loose ball into the top corner in the 27th minute, scoring again soon after the re-start by nudging home a fine pass from Diego Costa.

Substitute Marcos Llorente stretched Atleti's lead in the 79th and laid on passes for Alvaro Morata and Yannick Carrasco to complete the drubbing.

Soccer Football - La Liga Santander - Osasuna v Atletico Madrid - El Sadar Stadium, Pamplona, Spain - June 17, 2020 Atletico Madrid's Alvaro Morata celebrates their third goal scored by Marcos Llorente, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) REUTERS/Vincent West

The victory took Diego Simeone's side into fourth place in the standings on 49 points after 29 games, two ahead of fifth-placed Real Sociedad who visit Alaves on Thursday. Osasuna are 11th on 35.

"We have a brilliant squad and if we can keep performing like we did today we can go as far as we want to," said the Atletico coach.

Atletico had a subdued return to action after Spanish football's three-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic by drawing 1-1 at Athletic Bilbao.

Soccer Football - La Liga Santander - Osasuna v Atletico Madrid - El Sadar Stadium, Pamplona, Spain - June 17, 2020 Atletico Madrid's Joao Felix shoots at goal as teammates and Osasuna players look on, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) REUTERS/Vincent West

But against Osasuna they produced a defiant response and after edging a difficult first half showed no mercy in the second, obliterating their previous best tally of two goals in any away game this campaign.

Felix and Costa did most of the heavy lifting in attack to break down a rigid Osasuna but Simeone will be equally pleased with the attitude of his substitutes.

Llorente showed nimble feet to dance past three defenders to score a third goal in his last three outings, after netting twice to knock Liverpool out of the Champions League in March.

Soccer Football - La Liga Santander - Osasuna v Atletico Madrid - El Sadar Stadium, Pamplona, Spain - June 17, 2020 Atletico Madrid's Renan Lodi in action with Osasuna's Roberto Torres, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) REUTERS/Vincent West

The midfielder played a cross-field ball to Morata who was initially ruled offside after slotting home but the goal was awarded after a VAR review.

Carrasco, another substitute, chased down an Osasuna defender to play in Llorente, who passed back for the Belgian to score his first goal since returning to Atletico from Chinese club Dalian Yifang.

Soccer Football - La Liga Santander - Osasuna v Atletico Madrid - El Sadar Stadium, Pamplona, Spain - June 17, 2020 Atletico Madrid's Joao Felix celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates as Osasuna players look dejected, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) REUTERS/Vincent West

(Reporting by Richard Martin, editing by Ed Osmond)

Soccer Football - La Liga Santander - Osasuna v Atletico Madrid - El Sadar Stadium, Pamplona, Spain - June 17, 2020 Atletico Madrid's Alvaro Morata celebrates their fifth goal scored by Yannick Carrasco with teammates, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) REUTERS/Vincent West

Soccer Football - La Liga Santander - Osasuna v Atletico Madrid - El Sadar Stadium, Pamplona, Spain - June 17, 2020 Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone with Hector Herrera and teammates, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) REUTERS/Vincent West

Soccer Football - La Liga Santander - Osasuna v Atletico Madrid - El Sadar Stadium, Pamplona, Spain - June 17, 2020 Osasuna's Enric Gallego is shown a yellow card by referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoechea, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) REUTERS/Vincent West

Soccer Football - La Liga Santander - Osasuna v Atletico Madrid - El Sadar Stadium, Pamplona, Spain - June 17, 2020 Atletico Madrid's Joao Felix celebrates scoring their second goal with Santiago Arias, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) REUTERS/Vincent West

Soccer Football - La Liga Santander - Osasuna v Atletico Madrid - El Sadar Stadium, Pamplona, Spain - June 17, 2020 Osasuna's Enric Gallego reacts after sustaining an injury while Atletico Madrid's Stefan Savic and Hector Herrera look on, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) REUTERS/Vincent West

Soccer Football - La Liga Santander - Osasuna v Atletico Madrid - El Sadar Stadium, Pamplona, Spain - June 17, 2020 Atletico Madrid's Angel Correa in action as teammates and Osasuna players look on, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) REUTERS/Vincent West

Soccer Football - La Liga Santander - Osasuna v Atletico Madrid - El Sadar Stadium, Pamplona, Spain - June 17, 2020 Atletico Madrid's Joao Felix celebrates scoring their first goal with Diego Costa and teammates, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) REUTERS/Vincent West