Costa dazzles with double as Atletico crush Vienna

Atletico Madrid seized control of Champions League Group G when Diego Costa scored twice, including one of the goals of the season, in a thumping 3-0 victory for the La Liga side at Austria Vienna on Tuesday.

Playing at the Ernst Happel stadium where Spain beat Germany 1-0 to win Euro 2008, Atletico took the lead in the eighth minute when Koke sent Felipe Luis clear on the left and he squared for Raul Garcia to tap into an empty net.

Brazil-born Costa showed why Spain coach Vicente del Bosque wants to call him up when he made it 2-0 in the 20th after racing from inside the Atletico half, dancing past the last defender and slipping the ball into the corner of the net.

The home side tried to force their way back into the match but Costa dashed any hopes of a comeback when he controlled an Emiliano Insua centre and struck from close range eight minutes into the second half.

Atletico have a maximum nine points from three matches, with Russia's Zenit St Petersburg on four after their 1-0 win at Porto. Vienna have one point in fourth and last place, two behind the Portuguese side.

It was Costa's Champions League debut because he was suspended for Atletico's opening Group G wins against Zenit and Porto after picking up a red card in last term's Europa League.

The 25-year-old, who holds dual Brazilian and Spanish nationality, is the fourth Atletico player to net a double on his first Champions League appearance after current coach Diego Simeone, Sergio Aguero and Juan Esnaider.

Under Argentine Simeone, who has transformed the club since taking over at the end of 2011, Atletico have made a blistering start to their domestic and European campaigns.

The 2010 and 2012 Europa League winners won their opening eight La Liga matches before suffering a first defeat of the season when they went down 1-0 at Espanyol on Saturday to slip one point behind champions Barcelona.

Tuesday's success marked the first time Atletico have won three consecutive matches in Europe's elite club competition since their debut in the 1958-59 season.