Atleti were much changed from the weekend’s Copa del Rey final disappointment, but went some way to healing the wounds of their shootout loss to Sociedad by taking the lead in the 10th minute.
Nicolás González won possession deep in his own half and kept running, before executing a neat one-two with Rodri Mendoza and firing home.
Elche had already missed an opportunity to go ahead when Rafa Mir caught Germán Valera’s cross with a half-volley, which went narrowly over. But they took the next chance, which came their way 18 minutes in.
A half-cleared corner was headed back into the box by Tete Morente, and David Affengruber beat Jan Oblak to the dropping ball and poked it past him.
Los Franjiverdes kept the pressure on, and pressure was exactly what led to their second goal.
On the half-hour mark, Affengruber forced Thiago Almada into losing possession at the edge of his own box, before a pull of Affengruber’s shirt saw the Argentinian sent off for denying a clear, goalscoring opportunity. André Silva sent Oblak the wrong way from the penalty spot.
However, almost straight from kick-off, the visitors drew level once more, when González got in behind on the right side before heading his own flick over Matías Dituro over the line, just before Affengruber could hook it away.
Valera then came close to a spectacular goal late in the half, but after one first-half goal in their previous eight outings for Elche, the hosts had already made something of a statement.
Diego Simeone’s side thought they had struck again early in the second half, when Álex Baena took down a ball over the top and finished well, only for the offside flag to rule his effort out.
In response, Mir did well just to head a drilled Valera cross goalwards, and that easy catch for Oblak was the only shot at either end until just after the hour mark, when the Slovenian stopper flapped the ball away before Mir could get the ball out of his feet at a corner.
Elche sensed blood, and Affengruber had his header at a corner batted down by Oblak, before the Franjiverdes defender picked up the rebound and squared for Silva to complete his brace.
Álvaro Rodríguez should have put the game to bed soon after but sliced a golden chance wide, but the hosts held off Atleti’s late rally – spearheaded by Antoine Griezmann forcing Dituro into a top-class save in the 89th minute – to win a third home game in a row.
As for Los Colchoneros, it’s now seven away league defeats this season, with the Rojiblancos still stuck on just one such win in 2026.