Atletico Madrid has surpassed Real Madrid and Barcelona to lead La Liga. Atletico Madrid will begin the new year at the top of the La Liga points table—who could have predicted this just a few weeks ago? This is the reality, regardless of how you think about it. Atletico Madrid, led by Diego Simeone, is presently the most successful club in Spanish football, surpassing Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Atletico Madrid has surpassed: There are numerous examples of teams leading the table halfway through the season yet failing to win the championship. However, thanks to repeated strong performances, Atletico is now leading the battle for the championship in the 2024-25 season.
Atletico Madrid has won their last 12 matches in all competitions this season, including seven straight victories in La Liga. The team’s last defeat was in October. Before the Christmas and New Year holidays, Atletico changed the tide in their final encounter.
On December 21, Atletico Madrid defeated Barcelona 2-1 after rallying from behind in the second half. This victory has sent Atletico to the top of the points standings, knocking Barcelona down to third. Real Madrid, their city rivals and long-time opponents, is in second position.
Atletico has 41 points, Real Madrid has 40, and Barcelona has 38—the top three clubs in the title race are separated by only three points, making La Liga extremely close in the middle of the season. Barcelona, on the other hand, has played one more match than Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid combined.
Not only does Atletico Madrid lead La Liga, but it also leads the top five domestic leagues in Europe in terms of points.
At the start of the season, Barcelona dominated. The Catalan team enjoyed a fantastic run under Xavi’s management, and they defeated Real Madrid in the season’s first El Clasico, thanks to Lewandowski, Gavi, and Raphinha.
However, Barcelona lost their rhythm beginning in the second week of November. Since then, they have won only one of their seven league games before Christmas. Along with failing to maintain consistency, the injury to teenage winger Lamine Yamal has been a big setback for the club.
During Barcelona’s downturn, Atletico Madrid had a chance to take the lead. However, Real Madrid squandered that opportunity by losing to the comparably lesser Rayo Vallecano. During this period of inconsistency for both Real and Barcelona, Simeone’s Atletico has ascended to the top by making victories a habit.
Atletico last won the La Liga title in 2020-21. That season, the title was determined on the final day, with Atletico defeating Real Madrid by two points and winning the cup, spearheaded by Suarez and Oblak.
La Liga’s next three seasons were not particularly competitive. In the 2021-22 season, Real Madrid finished 13 points ahead of Barcelona. Barcelona, led by Xavi Hernandez, won the 2022-23 season, finishing 10 points ahead of Real Madrid. Last season, Carlo Ancelotti’s club recovered the title, finishing 10 points ahead.
Prior to the 2020-21 season, Atlético had last won the league in 2013-14. At the time, their point differential with Barcelona and Real Madrid, who finished second and third, was just three points. This means that whenever Atlético wins the championship, the league becomes extremely competitive.
Atletico Madrid has surpassed….Atletico Madrid has surpassed….Atletico Madrid has surpassed…..Atletico Madrid has surpassed….
