Under Diego Simeone, the team have won two La Liga titles in the last decade, with the most recent coming in the 2020/21 campaign.
Atleti wound up finishing fourth last season, a whopping 19 points behind their local rivals and league winners, Real Madrid. However, they spent big in the summer and have made an unbeaten start this term. Can they break into the top two or even snatch another La Liga crown?
| La Liga Market | Odds |
|---|---|
Winner without Real Madrid and Barcelona - Atletico Madrid | |
La Liga Winner - Atletico Madrid |
Odds courtesy of BetWinner. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change
Atletico’s Lavish Summer Spending
Diego Simeone was able to bolster his squad significantly in the summer, with the board sanctioning some big-money signings. Over €185 million worth of talent was brought in through the doors, and it has strengthened the team in all areas of the pitch.
Atletico Madrid scored an average of 1.84 goals per game last season, significantly less than Real Madrid, who scored 2.29 per game. Therefore, Atleti took the decision to overhaul their attack by bringing in Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth.
The former is extremely versatile and gives Simeone attacking threat with an excellent work rate off the ball. Alvarez is capable of facilitating attacking moves with his passing range or scoring himself. For Manchester City last season, he created 2.3 chances and had an xG of 0.44 per 90 minutes played.
Alexander Sorloth netted 23 goals for Villarreal last season. He has scored an average of 0.78 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes played in the last 365 days, putting him in the 98th percentile when compared with all other forwards across Europe’s top five leagues. Sorloth hasn’t been prolific in the early stages of his Atleti career, but should prove to be a huge asset in the months ahead.
Robin Le Normand and Conor Gallagher were also brought in to add some steel. Le Normand is a centre-back and adept at the ball at his feet. He is also keen to get involved in the physical side of the game, which makes him ideal for a Diego Simeone side. Gallagher is a workhorse in every sense of the word. Only three players covered more distance than his 407.15km in the Premier League last season. He has already netted two goals for his new club.
A Solid Defensive Platform for Simeone to Build on
Atletico Madrid are unbeaten in their eight league matches so far. As you’d expect from a Diego Simeone side, they have been solid defensively. The team have conceded the fewest goals in La Liga, with an average of 0.5. Atleti’s xGA of 6.69 is also the lowest.
The goals haven’t been flowing quite as freely as Simeone would have hoped. Six teams have scored more goals than Atletico Madrid after eight matches. Los Cochoneros have the fifth-highest xG in the division, with an average of 1.53 per game. However, they have the personnel to become a more lethal attacking force as the season progresses.
Real Madrid won the title with ease last season. Atleti couldn’t match the consistency of their City rivals, but Simeone’s team have fared incredibly well against Los Blancos in recent years. They haven’t lost any of the last seven head-to-head matches with the reigning champions. Atleti certainly held their own in the 1-1 draw against Real last weekend.
Winning La Liga is a tall order, but one that Atletico are capable of. There are plenty of promising signs thus far and those who like a safer bet can back them to win the league without Real Madrid and Barcelona.