La Liga is now a three-horse race. Can Atletico Madrid win the big prize?
For years the running line when talking about La Liga was that it was FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and everyone else. Sure Sevilla might make a run here or there and there would be the odd Villarreal good season. But for the most part it was the two teams that make up El Classico duking it out for the top honor in Spain. Atletico Madrid is a relatively new arrival on the scene.
But times have changed. Over the past four seasons Atletico Madrid have shown time and time again that they can match up with the two traditional powers in Spain and give them a run. Last season Atleti defeated both FC Barcelona in Champions League play and Real in league play.
The problem was though it wasn’t enough. Despite besting Barcelona and Bayern Munich in Champions League play they fell to Real in the final and helped set up the summer of Ronaldo. Meanwhile in league play, a late loss to Levante thwarted their chances at claiming their second La Liga title in three seasons.
There is no question that Atleti have earned their spot as one of the top clubs in Spain and Europe. But how can they be the top club in La Liga again and claim their first-ever Champions League title. The hope is that after a year of seasoning that their squad is now ready to take both tournaments by storm. But the fear is that with Barcelona and Madrid’s immense depth that they just cannot keep up and silverware will elude them once again.