Up until a couple of weeks ago, when Barcelona had the opportunity to go top with a win against Granada, it seemed like Atletico Madrid were going to bottle winning La Liga.
They had built up a significant lead over Barcelona and Real Madrid. Fortunately for Diego Simeone’s team, both their rivals have stumbled. Atletico are once again in the driver’s seat following a 2-1 win against Real Sociedad.
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On paper, La Real were the toughest opponent left for Los Colchoneros. Not only did they get through it with their lead but they put more distance between them and Barcelona.
But it wasn’t without its high pressure moments as Real Sociedad did manage to pull one back late in the game.
Atletico Madrid know how to “suffer” in big games.
If there is one thing that has set Atletico Madrid apart since Simeone took over is their ability to suffer in games. While there are exceptions, more often than not, they’ve been able to hold strong when being overrun by the opposition.
It’s the “bend, don’t break” mindset that has propelled them to only being two wins away from winning the league.
"“This year has been a bit of everything, a mix, were Atleti, if we didn’t suffer, that wouldn’t be us,” said Koke after the game.”Source: ESPN"
Koke, who played his 500th game with the club, knows what his team is all about and knows the game against Real Sociedad is type of game they’ve played countless and, in some ways, revel at.
Atletico’s strong start to the league and their recent run of form is what is going to propel them to winning the league. They had their rough patch but put enough room between themselves and the chasers to give themselves a huge margin of error.
When the heat got turned up, they battled. The biggest one coming in their draw last weekend against Barcelona.
Now, only two games separate them from their second La Liga trophy under Simeone. Last time, they left it until the final game of the season. It may come down to that again but their fate is in their own hands.