Atletico Madrid produced a dominant first-half performance to secure a convincing 3-1 victory over Sevilla at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan, bringing the hosts’ winning start to the LaLiga campaign to an end.

The visitors came flying out of the blocks, with Atletico Madrid taking the lead inside just four minutes. Alex Baena finished calmly from a tight angle after being expertly played through by Lee Kang-in, giving Sevilla an early setback.

Sevilla had an immediate chance to respond, but Robbie Ure failed to make the most of a promising opportunity, heading narrowly wide of Jan Oblak’s goal. The hosts struggled to create much during the opening 15 minutes as Atletico continued to control the tempo.

Sevilla gradually found their footing as the first half progressed and began putting more pressure on the visitors. Kike Salas came close to finding the target with a long-range effort, but his shot drifted just wide of the post.

Despite Sevilla enjoying a spell of pressure, Atletico Madrid remained composed and extended their advantage before the break. Ademola Lookman found space to fire a low effort towards goal, with his shot squeezing inside Odysseas Vlachodimos’ near post to leave the home supporters stunned.

Atletico’s fast start and clinical finishing ultimately put them firmly in control as they continued their push for a strong start to the LaLiga season.

Oblak was soon tested at the other end as Peque Fernandez unleashed a powerful effort on target, but Sevilla’s hopes of getting back into the match were effectively ended in the 33rd minute.

Baena completed his brace after being given time and space outside the box. The Atletico midfielder took full advantage, sending his effort through a crowded penalty area and into the back of the net.

Just five minutes into the second half, Lookman appeared to add another goal when he tapped the ball into an empty net. However, Atletico’s fourth was ruled out after the assistant referee raised the flag for offside.

Sevilla continued to create opportunities after the hour mark as they searched for a way back into the contest. Ure had another promising chance to get his side on the scoresheet, but once again failed to find the target.

The hosts were eventually rewarded for their persistence in the 67th minute. Miguel Sierra reacted quickest to a loose ball before producing an acrobatic finish, powering a left-footed strike into the net to register his first goal for the club.

As Sevilla pushed forward in search of a second goal, they began leaving gaps at the back. Atletico looked to exploit the space and nearly added another when Pablo Barrios met a dangerous cross with a header, only for Vlachodimos to make an excellent save and keep the effort out.

Atletico were then given a scare late on when Sevilla appealed for a penalty, but the referee waved away the claims. The result confirmed another defeat for the Andalusian side in this fixture and brought an end to their perfect start to the season.

For Atletico, the victory allowed them to temporarily move to the top of the LaLiga table, at least for the next 24 hours. The result also extended their strong recent record against Sevilla, with Atleti now having won seven of the last 10 meetings, alongside one draw and two defeats.

The convincing victory also allowed Atletico to put the recent Julian Alvarez controversy to one side as they continued their impressive start to the campaign.