Eibar played the better football but Atlético's superior finishing secures the spoils
The Armeros slipped to a 2-0 home defeat in a game in which they dominated for long spells
SD Eibar succumbed to a 2-0 reverse against Atlético Madrid at Ipurua on a day on which despite the Armeros enjoying the lion's share of possession, it was the visitors who prevailed courtesy of their superior finishing.
Right from the word go, Eibar looked very bright and got on the front foot, with José Luis Mendilibar's men linking up well.
The hosts' pressure prevented Los Colchoneros from getting into their groove and saw the visitors unable to make any inroads into the Eibar box.
The Armeros', however, failed to make their dominance count, with a stout rearguard action from Atlético barely allowing any gaps to appear in their backline.
On the stroke of half-time, Ander Capa picked out Sergi Enrich, who was unable to bring the ball under control in close proximity to the Atlético goal and with just Miguel Ángel Moyá to beat.
At the start of the second period, Eibar continued to press forward, but it was Diego Simeone's side who got their noses in front with their first real effort on goal.
A 53rd-minute Atlético corner saw the ball worked out to Filipe Luis, who whipped in an inviting centre which was deftly flicked home by Saúl Ñíguez.
The Armeros reacted well and kept plugging away, culminating in a four-minute spell between 68' and 71' in which the ball was virtually stuck in the Atlético half, with the play concentrated in and around Moyá's goal. Some wayward finishing, including when a well-placed Pedro León sent his effort just wide of the upright, saw the hosts fail to restore parity.
Shortly afterwards, with 74 minutes on the clock, Atleti put the game to bed when Antoine Griezmann turned the ball home from point-blank range after being picked out by Kevin Gameiro's pull-back.
Eibar weren't prepared to throw the towel in, but at this stage, Atlético were looking formidable at the back, as they afforded the hosts no chances. A Nano Mesa effort from a slipped Bebé pass vey nearly saw Eibar claw their way back into the game, but the ball was scrambled away.
Eibar came close to taking something from this encounter against an Atlético Madrid side that showcased their defensive solidity and their prowess at the other end to leave Ipurua with maximum points.
Prior to kick-off, a minute's silence was held to mark the passing of Ibon Areitio Oyarzun, who served as a team liaison officer and board member for many years.