Trouble-torn Barcelona continued their miserable run of form in the league when they slipped to a 3-0 defeat at Atletico Madrid in the Spanish first division on Saturday.

The Catalan side, who forced the departure of Dutch coach Louis van Gaal at the beginning of the week and named former Atletico boss Radomir Antic as his successor on Friday, suffered their third defeat in a row in an action-packed match.

Young striker Fernando Torres put Atletico ahead with a classy individual strike five minutes from the end of the first half and Brazilian midfielder Emerson extended the Atletico lead when he headed in from a corner midway through the second.

Five minutes earlier both sides had been reduced to 10 men when Atletico forward Jose Mari and Barca midfielder Fabio Rochemback saw red after tempers flared in an off the ball incident.

Former Barcelona B player Luis Garcia completed the misery for his old club when he cracked home with a fierce angled shot three minutes from time to the delight of the home crowd.

The win sent Atletico into seventh place in the table and left Barca in 12th, but the Catalans face the unwelcome prospect of dropping further down the standings after Sunday's matches.

With the newly-appointed Antic preferring to watch the game from home, van Gaal's former assistant Antonio de la Cruz was on the bench directing operations for Barcelona, but it seemed to have little effect on the players who struggled throughout.

EARLY INITIATIVE

Atletico, anxious to get their season back on track after a midweek exit from the Cup and last Saturday's defeat at home to Real Sociedad, took the early initiative and pinned Barcelona back in their own half from the start.

Emerson forced a sharp save from Barca keeper Roberto Bonano with a snap shot from the edge of the area on seven minutes and Luis Garcia shaved the post with a powerful strike soon after.

Barcelona were forced to rejig their defence when French centre back Philippe Christanval was forced off the pitch through injury and replaced by former youth player Oleguer after just 20 minutes.

The Catalan side, missing strike duo Patrick Kluivert and Javier Saviola and midfielder Philip Cocu, never settled and were restricted to playing on the break.

Midfielders Gaizka Mendieta and Marc Overmars did manage to escape the attentions of the Atletico defence on two isolated attacks, but both fluffed their final shots with only the keeper to beat.

Atletico's 18-year-old striker Fernando Torres then gave his more experienced opponents a lesson in classy finishing when he put the home side ahead with a sparkling individual goal five minutes from the break.

Picking up the ball to the right of the area, he skipped round Dutch defender Frank de Boer and surprised Bonano at the near post when he stroked home with the outside of his foot.

Barca tried to respond early in the second half, but just as they appeared to be getting into their stride Rochemback and Jose Mari were dismissed and the game turned decisively in Atletico's favour when Emerson grabbed his goal on 70 minutes.

Atletico fans taunted their opponents with chants of "going down, going down" when Garcia added the third to leave new boss Antic with no doubts as to the size of the task facing him if he is to oversee a change of fortunes at the troubled Catalan club.