Getafe caused a massive upset in knocking Barcelona out of the cup semi-finals on Thursday, Bernd Schuster's side winning the second leg 4-0 having trailed 5-2 after the first meeting at the Nou Camp.

However, Getafe could not repeat the feat on Sunday as they suffered a rare reverse at their Coliseum Alfonso Perez fortress.

Before this game, Getafe had lost just once in 17 league games at home while conceding only six goals in total, but Atletico made a mockery of those statistics as Javier Aguirre's side matched their biggest La Liga win of the season.

Captain Fernando Torres netted a brace for Atletico, while Maniche and Luciano Galletti, from the penalty spot, also got on the scoresheet for the visitors, who remain in sixth place.

For Getafe, Manu del Moral had reduced the deficit to 2-1 with a goal on the hour-mark, but the hosts could make no further inroads as they fell five points adrift of their neighbours in the standings.

Atletico were quickly out of the blocks and managed to take the lead just two minutes in.

Maniche played the ball into space behind the Getafe defence and Torres accelerated clear of two markers before clinically finishing into the far corner of the net.

Boosted by that early strike, Atletico laid siege to the home goal and Torres and Fabiano Eller both went close with headers before Maniche made it 2-0 in the 18th minute.

Martin Petrov found the Portuguese midfielder in plenty of space on the left-hand side of the pitch and the former Dynamo Moscow man made his way unchecked to the edge of the Getafe area where he unleashed an unstoppable shot with the outside of his right foot, which flew past Roberto Abbondanzieri and into the far corner of the net.

Galletti had a chance to make it 3-0 after the Getafe defence had again been torn apart.

Petrov's pass across the face of goal took Abbondanzieri out of the action, but Galletti, who was arriving at speed at the far post, was unable to keep his shot down with the goal gaping.

In an action-packed match, Getafe responded with efforts from Daniel Guiza and Manu, before Torres, having again got in behind the home side's backline, was unable to turn home a lofted pass forward.

The chances continued to flow in the second half, and Getafe thought they had pulled a goal back when Guiza headed in, but the effort was correctly ruled out for offside.

Getafe did manage to get on the scoresheet in the 60th minute though when Manu fired home a first-time shot after Manuel Tena's flicked header had fallen kindly to him inside the area.

Getafe's joy was short-lived though as Atletico re-established their two-goal advantage just four minutes later as Maniche and Torres again linked up well.

Maniche threaded an incisive ball through the Getafe defence and Torres latched onto it before rounding Abbondanzieri and slotting home.

Atletico, who had beaten Athletic Bilbao 4-1 away from home in September, when wrapped up the scoring in 89th minute when Galletti scored from the spot.

The penalty was given for a harsh-looking handball against Cosmin Contra and, with Torres having been replaced seven minutes earlier, Galletti stepped up to smash into the top corner.