MADRID (AP) - Atletico Madrid downed Mallorca 3-0 on Monday to move into the Europa League positions at the midway point in the Spanish league season.
The game promised to be a tough test for Atletico without injured forward Sergio Aguero and facing a Mallorca that had already won at Sevilla and Valencia and earned a rare point at Barcelona.
But after resisting the visitors' early push, defender Juan Valera and Diego Forlan scored for Atletico before halftime and Jose Antonio Reyes added the third in injury time.
Atletico goalkeeper David de Gea saved Pierre Webo's penalty in the 70th after captain Antonio Lopez had been sent off for pulling down Mallorca winger Emilio Nsue in the area with only the 'keeper to beat.
"The entire team played a great game, and with a man less," said De Gea.
Atletico's first win of 2011 lifted the team into sixth place on 30 points.
Mallorca looked to be the hungrier team from the start following shots by Victor Casadesus and Webo, but Atletico struck first when Valera rose above the defense at the near post to head home Reyes' corner in the 13th minute.
Atletico's major winter signing, Brazilian midfielder Elias, combined well with his new teammates on debut and tested goalkeeper Dudu Aouate with a well-struck shot from the edge of the area in the 24th.
Forlan, who had not scored at Vicente Calderon stadium since the 11th round, hit his seventh goal of the season in the 34th.
Former Arsenal playmaker Fran Merida caught the Mallorca defense trying to spring an offside trap and set up the Uruguay striker, who slotted the ball past 'keeper Dudu Aouate.
Atletico's other winter reinforcement, Juanfran Torres, set up Reyes to cap the victory in the fourth minute of injury time.
On Thursday, Atletico will look to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the second leg of the Copa del Rey quarterfinals against crosstown rival Real Madrid.
"We are going to play to the death because we know that with two goals we are there," said De Gea.
Mallorca dropped to ninth with 27 points after its first loss in three weeks.
Barcelona leads the standings with a league-record 52 points at the midway point after beating Malaga 4-1. Real Madrid fell four points back after drawing 1-1 with last-place Almeria. Villarreal is third with 39, followed by Valencia on 37 and Espanyol on 34.
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