Barcelona: Radamel Falcao scored five times to reach 16 goals for the Spanish league season after leading Atletico Madrid to a 6-0 thrashing of last-place Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday. The Colombia striker helped Atletico bounce back from their loss to Real Madrid with a commanding performance that kept them in second place and perfect after eight home games this season.
Diego Costa headed in Jorge "Koke" Resurrecion's corner to get Atletico rolling in the 23rd minute. Moments after Deportivo's Juan Carlos Valeron had hit the post, Falcao took his first when he picked up Koke's pass on the break and rifled a low shot under goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia in the 28th. He then curled a vicious shot in from the edge of the area three minutes from halftime.
Even with the result beyond doubt, Falcao was far from done. He earned and converted a penalty in the 64th, launched himself airborne to head home a rebound of Arda Turan's attempt in the 68th, and capped the demolition in the 71st by losing two defenders and slotting a shot inside the near post.
The last player to score five goals in a Spanish league game was Madrid forward Fernando Morientes against Las Palmas in the 2001-02 season. The goal record by one player in a Spanish league game is seven.
Elsewhere, striker Obafemi Martins scored once and set up two goals to lead Levante to 4-0 win over visiting Mallorca to rise into sixth place. Mallorca are on the verge of the relegation zone after their 10th game without a victory. Aritz Aduriz's 33rd-minute header gave Athletic Bilbao a 1-0 home win over Celta Vigo as the Basques kept their first clean sheet in seven rounds. The victory left Bilbao in 13th place, six points above the drop zone.
On Saturday, it was: Valladolid 2, Madrid 3; Malaga 4, Granada 0; Real Sociedad 1, Getafe 1; and Osasuna 0, Valencia 1. Sevilla drew 2-2 at Espanyol on Friday. Rayo Vallecano hosts Real Zaragoza on Monday.
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