Atletico Madrid claimed sole ownership of top spot in La Liga thanks to an impressive 4-0 victory over Real Sociedad – but it came at a cost as striker David Villa limped off with a hamstring injury shortly after scoring the opener.
Further goals were added in the second period through Diego Costa, Miranda and Diego, allowing Atletico to take full advantage of Barcelona’s slip-up.
After an emotional pre-match tribute to former Atletico player and manager Luis Aragones, the hosts went close early on when leading scorer Costa made a run down the right and cut inside to shoot into the side-netting.
Villa then had a goal rightly disallowed for offside as Atletico’s bright start continued, but Sociedad could have had a penalty with one of their first dangerous attacks when Antoine Griezmann was hauled down by Miranda on the very edge of the penalty area and referee Javier Estrada ruled the infringement took place outside the box.
Sociedad threatened again when Jose Angel advanced down the left and cut back a cross for David Zurutuza, whose bouncing 20-yard strike was saved with discomfort by Thibaut Courtois.
Costa fired a snapshot well over the bar as he went in search of his first league goal of 2014, but it was his strike partner who soon opened the scoring.
Emiliano Insua won a loose ball and drove forward to release Costa, whose precise leftwing cross was neatly turned home at the near post by Villa for his 11th league goal of the season.
Within three minutes, however, Villa was limping out of the game after collapsing in agony off the ball, clutching his hamstring as he headed down the tunnel.
The early stages of the second half were evenly contested, with visiting defender Ion Ansotegi having two bites of the cherry from a corner as his first effort was blocked and the second drifted wide.
Newly-signed loanee Diego was introduced from the bench to begin his second spell at Atletico, and the midfielder quickly got into the action with a shot which was deflected over the top.
The hosts wrapped up the points with a quickfire pair of goals, firstly with Costa running onto a long ball from Raul Garcia and confidently stroking home.
Then Koke swung over a right-wing corner and Miranda met it with a thumping header into the bottom left corner.
A fourth goal nearly arrived from another corner, this time delivered by Gabi, when Garcia’s header was repelled by a brilliant save from Bravo, but he was powerless to keep out Diego’s drive into the roof of the net as Atletico completed the rout.
