Atletico Madrid returned to winning ways on Sunday afternoon with a home victory over Rayo Vallecano.
Los Rojiblancos had lost four La Liga games on the bounce heading into the Christmas break, coming up short against Mallorca, Real Madrid, Sevilla and Granada.
That run of results saw Diego Simeone‘s men drop 17 points behind leaders Real Madrid.
But while a title challenge now seems out of reach, they did manage to make three of those points up on Sunday.
After Real Madrid lost to Getafe, Atleti produced a professional display at home to a coronavirus-hit Rayo Vallecano.
Rayo had double-figure absentees due to coronavirus, but Atleti still had a job to do, and Angel Correa ensured it got done with two smart finishes.
The result takes Atleti to within 14 points of Real Madrid with a game in hand.
Meanwhile, Rayo slip below Atleti, two points below in fifth place.
