After seven long years, Atletico Madrid finally reclaimed the La Liga title last season. It ended up being more dramatic than they had hoped after letting their once-massive lead slip late in the season, but Diego Simeone’s side did enough to hold off rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The challenge Los Colchoneros face now is to successfully defend the league title, something they have not done since the 1950s. It won’t be easy with Real and Barca eager to get back to the top.
But here are five compelling reasons why Atletico Madrid will remain kings of La Liga this upcoming season.
1. In Simeone they trust
As with everything Atletico, it all starts with Diego Simeone. The Argentine, who has now been at the club for 10 years, showed with last season’s title-winning campaign that he is still one of the very best managers in the world.
Simeone’s playing style may not be as pleasing to the eye as the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, but his teams produce results. Cholo knows how to get the best out of his players, who work as hard as possible for him.
With Simeone still at the helm and calling the shots, Atleti are in great hands as they take on their title defence.
2. Defence wins championships
Speaking of defence, that has been the foundation upon which Simeone has built his amazing success at Atleti. Year after year, his side is arguably the best defensive unit not just in Spain, but in all of Europe.
Last season was no different as they conceded a mere 25 goals over 38 league matches, the best defensive record in La Liga.
Of course, the Atleti players deserve a ton of credit, particularly goalkeeper Jan Oblak. The Slovenian shot-stopper has been without a doubt one of the best in the game over the last few years, and at just 28 years of age he is still very much in his prime.
Despite evolving personnel, Simeone has still been able to build well-organised defensive units to protect Oblak year in, year out. As long as Simeone is in charge, it’s a good bet that Atleti will continue to excel on the defensive side of the game.
3. The Joao Felix factor
While Atleti’s defence has stayed consistently great over the years, their attack has been quite mediocre. They had been in the 50-goal range for the past three years prior to last season as they relied primarily on one main goalscorer.
That finally changed last season, though. They scored 67 goals, led by veteran Luis Suarez’s 21. And he also had a lot of help from Marcos Llorente (12 goals, 11 assists) and Angel Correa (9 goals, 8 assists), who provided their share of La Liga 2021 highlights.
But Atleti cannot reasonably rely on a 34-year-old Suarez to be quite as prolific once again. That is likely why they have been linked with strikers like Atleti old boy Antoine Griezmann and Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette.
However, the Atleti attack can reach another level if Joao Felix can finally take a step up this season. The promising young Portuguese has flashed his immense potential several times during his first two seasons in Spain, but he has yet to deliver on a consistent basis.
Simeone has been quite tough on the youngster. He has not handed Felix consistent starts and has not been afraid to take him off when he’s underwhelmed.
The hope is that after two years of trials and tribulations, the 21-year-old is now ready to break out in his third year. It is by no means a certainty to happen, but it is absolutely a possibility and Atleti will be even more dangerous if Joao Felix finally figures everything out.
4. Real Madrid don’t look ready to compete
Despite being the defending champions, the La Liga 2021 betting odds at SBOTOP have Atletico Madrid as just third-favourites for the title this year behind both Barcelona and Real Madrid.
But why should they be behind their city rivals Real? Much has changed at the Bernabeu in the last few months. Zinedine Zidane is no longer the manager, with Carlo Ancelotti returning to replace him. Their star centre-back duo of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane is also gone.
Meanwhile, the remaining core of Real’s side – Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, and Casemiro – is getting quite old. As great as Benzema has been, is it realistic to expect the 33-year-old to continue carrying the Real attack almost singlehandedly?
At this point, there are just too many question marks that need answers before Real can be considered a significant threat to Atleti’s crown.
5. Barcelona still not at their best
The same could be said of Atleti’s other main title rivals, Barcelona. The Catalans have had quite a busy summer thus far, bringing in the likes of Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay, and Eric Garcia on free transfers.
But just how significantly have these new signings really improved Barca, who have failed to win the league title in back-to-back years for the first time since 2008?
There is obvious promise with Euro 2020 star Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Ansu Fati, but are they ready to step up with the old guard of Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba nearing their last legs?
And of course, Lionel Messi is now 34 years old. He cannot lift the Catalans by himself like he once did, and if he loses more of his magic, they will be in big trouble.
Taking all of those different factors into account, Atletico have the clear advantage over their rivals, which is why they should go on to successfully defend their Spanish crown this season.
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