La Liga
Atletico Madrid: Dark Horses No More
Atletico Madrid have been seen as Real Madrid’s often neglected younger siblings. The cross town rivals who have always been in the shadow of the two giants of La Liga. But since the turn of the decade their fortunes have changed. Los Colchoneros have sprouted from their cocoons. They have awakened from their deep slumber. And they are gradually establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Not only domestically but also in the entirety of Europe.
In recent years they are the only team other than Barcelona and Real Madrid to have laid their hands on the coveted league trophy. La Liga is often wrongly criticized for being a ‘two-horse race’. Even so it burst into life when Atleti toppled Barça to win it in the 2013-14 season.
Back then they were still ‘underdogs’ who managed to end Barcelona and Real Madrid’s dominant reign. However things are different now. Each season since 2013-14 they are being seen as title contenders and at times even favorites to win. Couple this with the two Champions League finals they reached and the three Europa League titles they won in the last eight years, they can certainly be considered one of the best in Europe.
Let us take a look at what we can expect from them this season.
Fresh Hopes And Big Dreams
Los Rojiblancos are coming off the back of a decent season in 2017-18. They finished second in the league and won the Europa League as well. This season has already begun well for them. They toppled Real Madrid in the UEFA Supercup and are now heading into the league campaign with renewed vigor. With a rock solid defense and an extremely potent midfield and attack, there is no doubt that any team will have a torrid time against Diego Simeone’s side. Atleti will especially rely on their stubborn defense. Thanks to a back-line that resembles a steel wall and a top class keeper on top of his game, Atletico managed to keep the most clean sheets in the league last season.
They will look to pick up where they left off last season as they head into their first La Liga fixture against Valencia on Monday. Not to forget they have an exciting Champions League campaign to look forward to this season.
Fierce Squad At The Ready
Atletico have significantly bolstered their squad heading into the new season. They have brought in the likes of Santiago Arias from PSV Eindhoven, Gelson Martins from Sporting and Nikola Kalinic from AC Milan. The most noteworthy addition however, is the explosively talented Thomas Lemar from AS Monaco. These youngsters alongside the already fierce attack of Diego Costa and Antoine Griezmann makes for a frightening prospect for opposition defenders. The defense as discussed earlier is already incredible with the likes of Diego Godin and Filipe Luis protecting the goal with the ever-spectacular Jan Oblak between the sticks.
All in all, Atletico fans can look towards the upcoming season with great optimism and enthusiasm for indeed, they are dark horses no more.
