Atletico Madrid start every season in Spain as outsiders for the title, but as Diego Simeone always says: 'We have to be there in case they make a mistake.' This year, that cocktail is certainly being fueled, but there is still a long way to go before justice is served.
Initially, Atletico had the weakest start of the three, drawing four of their first nine games and struggling to assimilate star signings Julian Alvarez and Conor Gallagher. Meanwhile, Barcelona started the season in red-hot form, while Real Madrid stuttered and struggled with Kylian Mbappé's teething problems.
But a shock dip in results for the Catalan side means the trio are separated by just one point going into the final weekend of 2024, with both capital clubs having a match in hand against the Blaugrana. Flick's side have collected just five points from their last six games, while Los Colchoneros have recorded 11 straight wins in all competitions. Go to a reliable sports betting platform and you will find much lower odds than even at the start of the season for Los Rojiblancos to take home a third title under Diego Simeone.
It would be poetic justice for Antoine Griezmann. The French striker, now Atletico's record goalscorer, has given the very best of his prime to Atletico, and while he does have a Europa League and Champions League runners-up medals, a simple quirk has yet to win him a league title. His first move from Real Sociedad came the summer after Atletico won their first league title under Simeone, and Griezmann's ill-fated spell at Barcelona coincided with Atletico clinching the title during his two-year break.
Few players have given so much over the past decade, not only for Atletico, but also for Spanish football. Only the scandalous duo of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi can claim to have eclipsed his brilliance in the final third of such a long spell. Just as the timing of his movements was unfortunate, so too in many ways was his time.
Since recapturing his form at the Metropolitano, Griezmann has been directing things for Simeone. Griezmann is a rare complete forward and can do everything, except lift the trophy. It's the only hurdle that eludes him, and at age 33, father is giving chase to time. With all the ability to play games at the highest level, he has fulfilled his role as a leading star with a modest work rate that belongs in any Simeone side. Football is a cruel sport, is the common refrain. However, if the game has any sense of justice, it will have to show mercy to Griezmann this season.
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