Atletico Madrid had just succumbed to Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals, courtesy of Javier Hernandez's late winner.For Atleti, it was a major blow. After season-long domination inEl Derbi madrileno, Diego Simeone's men had dramatically lost the pivotal eighth encounter of the season.Hernandez's strike felt like a significant moment for Atletico, one that might prompt a letdown. For almost two seasons, Los Colchoneroshave fought ferociously and non-stop for titles, but the loss to Real left Atleti without a title to chase.How would they respond without a dangling carrot'Amid the disappointment, however, Jan Oblak quicklygave the impression he could see the bigger picture."Of course we're sad, but this is football and you can't always win," the goalkeeper told the waiting media following the Champions League exit. "We have six finals left in La Liga, we're leaving with our heads held high and we're going to do better in La Liga. We have to pick ourselves up and move forward."Naturally, Oblak's words sounded much like a regurgitation of those we've often heard from his manager. And, essentially, they were. But even if Oblak was simply repeating Simeone's message, the message itself is still an important one: Atletico Madrid are at the beginning of a cycle (both on the pitch and off it), and for it to continue, the club must maintain its position in Europe's pre-eminent competition.Thus, it's third place in La Liga that carries the most weight for Atletijust as Simeone has stressed all season. And when the weekend began, the men from the Vicente Calderon had "six finals" to negotiate to achieve their goal, the outcome that underpins the evolution of the club's upward cycle.Now, though, there's just five, with Saturday's 3-0 victory over Elche accounting for the first.Yet, despite the scoreline, it was anything but a stroll. The final margin was hardly reflective of the spectacle witnessed at the Calderon.The hosts wereas many thought they might benoticeably flat. Despite Simeone ringing the changes for Elche's visit, the game's opening 40 minutes felt like they belonged to the warm-up. Only in the last five minutes of the opening half did the home side resemble anything close to what we expect.In truth, it was a period barely worth watching. And if not for the presence of more than 10,000 youngsters there to celebrate Atletico's children's day, the mood in the stands might have been equally subdued.On another day, at another time in the season, Atleti's half would have been one for dissection. Against opponents who've been battling with their own club just to get paid, they'd created little. They'd barely tested Elche's goalkeeper. Their tempo was slow.Frankly, the hosts looked ordinary.But as Oblak noted, these are finals for Atleti. Therefore, the resultnot the nature of the displayis all that counts."Finals are not for playing, they are for winning," as Jose Mourinho pointed out earlier this year. And that's basically what Atletico did.Shortly after the interval, Juanfran broke down the right and crossed to Koke, whose shot forced a fine save fromPrzemyslaw Tyton (a truly epic name for a 'keeper!) but one that went only as far as Antoine Griezmann, who nodded home the opener.Eight minutes later, Raul Garcia collected a throw-in 25 yards out from goal, turned, and caughtTyton off-guard with a surprise, left-footed strike.An hour gone. Two-nil. Game over. Three points, with Griezmann later making it three goals, too.Even if it wasn't inspiring, it didn't matter. Only the result did."The Champions League is over now. We competed well in it but now the focus must be on the league," Simeone said in the game's aftermath, per Jamie Kemp of Inside Spanish Football."What I liked most was the reaction from the blow of midweek, as well as our second half compared to our first half," the Argentinian added, recognising the forgettable opening period. "We were more intense, more involved, more consistentand our opponent suffered because of it."The ultimate pragmatist, Simeone won't be at all phased by a match that won't make any highlight reels. For him and Atleti, it was simply one to win and nothing else.One "final" down. Five to go.Read more World Football news on BleacherReport.com
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