COMMENT: When Real Madrid hit Mälmo for eight on Tuesday evening and other surprises won headlines in the Champions League the quiet revolution at Atlético de Madrid continued on almost unnoticed.
Just as it had at the weekend when all eyes were on Mestalla as Valencia's new and inexperienced coach, Gary Neville, watched his side hold last season's treble winners Barcelona.
Diego Simeone's team were quietly taking on Granada and it was business as usual for Los Colchoneros as they remained resolute and impenetrable at the back and clinical in front of goal.
The 2-0 win in Los Cármenes was unremarkable in itself as the side that won the league in 2013/14 and finished in third place last term went up against a team that once again face a struggle to maintain their status in the top flight.
That win, however, combined with the Champions League victory against Benfica in Portugal three days later is a sign that Atlético are once again on the rise and coach Simeone has them playing the sort of football that has brought them such success in previous seasons.
Victory in Europe was their 13th consecutive game unbeaten while the win at Granada saw them make it four clean sheets in a row in the league and their ninth of the campaign.
Statistics like that are what won Atlético their first league title for 18 years in 2013/14 as they conceded just 26 goals in their 38 games while Barça let in 33 and Real Madrid 38.
Goalkeeper Jan Oblak is rarely mentioned when talking about great goalkeepers, but the Slovenian international, who was signed in 2014 to replace the highly-rated Thibaut Courtois, is slowly turning heads.
In front him stand four defenders who are hardly household names, but Juanfran, Filipe Luis, José Giménez and, in particular, Diego Godín are the best defensive unit in European football currently and that is a bedrock upon which Simeone has made Atlético champions before.
The coach and the club are experts at rebuilding and replacing. Several regulars left in the summer, with Arda Turan, Mario Mandzukic and Raúl García, among them, but Simeone knew what he was doing and that he had the pieces in place and signed shrewdly.
Jackson Martínez was the marquee frontman brought in from Porto and is still finding his feet, while Luciano Vietto and Yannick Carrasco made few people stand up and take notice outside of the Vicente Calderón.
José Giménez was advised he would be an important player this term, while Oliver Torres returned from loan at Porto to push for a first team place and Thomas Partey has been slowly introduced to add to the mix that has made Atlético such a potent force this term.
The spine was already there and the changes have only improved the squad, but the resounding feeling was that would only mean that the team could, once again, push for a top four finish as Barça and Real Madrid would, no doubt, run away with the league title.
Three points at Granada allied with Barcelona only earning one at Valencia saw Atleti edge to within two points of the Blaugrana and stay in second place ahead of their city rivals Real Madrid and there is talk that another championship push could be on the cards.
Simeone does not kowtow to a set of fans demanding open and attractive football because he does not have to and hard work and a structured way of playing and grinding out wins when necessary keeps everyone very happy; Los Colchoneros have won 1-0 and 2-0 four times each this term.
In the Champions League they have topped their group and are flying-high in La Primera, but you will not hear Simeone, nor anyone at the club, make bold predictions.
Any drop in form from Barça, and it may well come just as Real Madrid slipped last season, and Atlético de Madrid's results, performances and players will suddenly become noticed by everyone and even more so should they win the title for the 11th time next May.
