How Atletico Madrid Are Closing the Gap to Real Madrid in La LigaAtletico MadridHow Atletico Madrid Are Closing the Gap to Real Madrid in La Liga
Atletico Madrid are turning up the heat on their rivals Real Madrid in La Liga. After five consecutive wins, Atletico have now closed the gap between them and the second-placed team to just two points. Sunday’s 2-1 win against Rayo Vallecano has seen them record an impressive 12-match unbeaten league run, leaving them sitting pretty on a 57-point tally. Meanwhile, Barcelona – who have a game in hand – lead the standings with 71 points.
The driving force behind Atletico Madrid’s resurgence has been their attacking play; they have scored 19 goals in their last six games. The first half of Sunday’s match saw Nahuel Molina and Mario Hermoso both notch their names on the score sheet, setting up what would be another victory for the Spanish side. Although Rayo Vallecano were able to score one more before full time, it was not enough to take away from Atletico’s stellar performance. Atletico coach Diego Simeone has been hailed as one of the main catalysts of this surge in form, having implemented a new system which is rewarding his players with positive results. His tactical knowledge and ability to get his team playing with great intensity has seen them become one of Europe’s most respected clubs. And it looks like it could be Simeone’s year for success if he can maintain this level of performance until the end of the season. Their consistency across all competitions is something that should be admired; despite playing against some big European teams such as Juventus and Borussia Dortmund, they have managed to hold their own in both La Liga and Champions League fixtures alike.
They also recently won 4-0 against Sevilla after coming from behind following an early penalty kick by Andre Silva, showcasing true resilience and quality determination in all aspects of play – something that any fan wearing an Atletico Madrid jersey will be proud off!
Atletico’s success this season has been built upon a strong defence which is proving to be impenetrable against even Europe’s biggest sides. Having conceded only 18 goals so far, they are currently boasting one of Spain’s best defensive records and have kept 9 clean sheets in total across all competitions – an impressive feat considering how attacking orientated La Liga has become over recent years. This solid back line is being supported by lightning pace going forward through stars like João Félix and Álvaro Morata who have already scored 15 goals between them this campaign – proving that there is no shortage of talent within this squad!
With just nine matches left in La Liga this season, Atletico Madrid look set to continue their resurgence towards European football once again next year – a feat many thought impossible given how close Real Madrid were to clinching second place earlier this season. The Atleti faithful will certainly be hoping for more good news come May when the final whistle blows; with Barcelona virtually out of sight at 71 points, surely only a miracle can stop Simeone’s men from achieving greatness yet again!
