‘The result is what it is, and even if we had more opportunities, what matters is the final result’. So said Diego Simeone following Atletico Madrid’s 2-2 draw with Real Madrid at the Vicente Calderon, a game in which the home team proved they are still more than a match for the best in Spain, and perhaps should have taken three points thanks to the handful of golden opportunities Diego Costa ultimately passed up in front of goal.
Above and beyond those ‘what if’ moments, Simeone is right to focus on the result, however. Atletico now hold a superior head-to-head over Madrid, and with two huge games involving the top three still to be played this season, that factor could be of major significance come the final game of the 2013/14 Spanish championship.
As Simeone says, Atletico Madrid are still very much alive in the La Liga title race, and are proving to be a major irritant for Spain’s big two.
A glance at the La Liga table suggests the result wasn’t particularly great for Atletico considering the three points they still lag behind city rivals and domestic leaders Madrid, but there is also the presence of an invisible yet potentially important leveller which conditions the difference between them and Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
With Madrid only able to salvage a draw from last night’s derby, Atletico’s 1-0 victory at the Bernabeu in the first half of the season means Los Colchoneros lead Los Blancos in the head-to-head balance which would ultimately decide the league title if both teams finished on the same points come the end of the season.
There is still the major matter of a three point deficit for Atletico to claw back, but it is no exaggeration to say that Atleti have really taken what could prove to be ‘two points’ from last night’s draw, should further results ensure they go level with their rivals before the end of the weekend of May 18th, the final round of the 2013/14 La Liga calendar.
Two fixtures will play a huge part in determining how important that head-to-head advantage is. The first is one in which Atleti aren’t involved at all. Barcelona’s visit to the Santiago Bernabeu on the weekend of 23 March is of vital importance for all three teams fighting for the league.
A home win by more than one goal could turn around the head-to-head deficit which currently exists between Los Blancos and the Catalans (Barcelona won 2-1 at the Camp Nou in October). More importantly, it could open up a bigger points gap between the two sides, with Madrid currently only one point ahead of Barca.
Yet a draw or victory for the away team would not only benefit the Blaugrana, but Atletico too, giving them the chance to narrow their own gap with Madrid or even eliminate it entirely, should Simeone’s men continue to keep pace at the top in the coming weeks.
The latter scenario could result in a nail-biting final La Liga weekend, with Atletico travelling to the Camp Nou in their last fixture of the domestic season. At the Vicente Calderon in January, Diego Simeone’s side made Barca look impotent, holding them to a 0-0 draw, and there was little between the two sides in terms of quality.
Barcelona’s failure to score in that game could prove to be key: a victory by as little as one goal at the Camp Nou could see Atletico win the league even if Real Madrid are also level on points with them at the top, thanks to a better head-to-head they would hold over both of the big two.
Taking any kind of result from the Camp Nou isn’t easy, let alone taking a victory in a vital fixture against a side accustomed to winning league titles the hard way (in 2010 the Catalans beat Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Madrid to the trophy on the final day of the season), but considering Atletico have already came away with a victory from the Santiago Bernabeu this season, doing the same in the Catalan capital isn’t beyond them.
Evidently, the aforementioned scenario is only one of several which could unfold in the remaining 12 rounds of the La Liga season. Before May rolls around, Atletico could very well lose at the incredibly tough new San Mames on 30 March and effectively fall away from the pack.
Equally, Real Madrid could find life difficult against Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on March 26th. Moreover, Barcelona could end Atleti’s dream in the cruellest of manners by dispatching them in the final game of the season. Who knows?
What is certain is that we are watching the most fascinating and the most even La Liga title race for years, a race in which momentum constantly shifts between the three teams and, just when one seems to be done for, another stumbles and creates an opening.
Prior to Sunday night, many considered Atletico dead in the water, only awaiting the final nail in the coffin against a Madrid side that has been the best in Spain during 2014 so far. Yet by going toe-to-toe and even bettering Carlo Ancelotti’s team for large spells of Sunday’s derby, Los Colchoneros proved that quite the opposite is true.
If there are two things we know about Atletico under Diego Simeone, it is first, that you should never count them out, and second, that if you do, it suits them perfectly. As Simeone said in his post match press conference, Atletico are still alive, even if it annoys some people. This irritant refuses to go away.
Elsewhere: Athletic 4-0 Granada, Malaga 1-1 Valladolid, Levante 2-1 Osasuna, Getafe 0-0 Espanyol, Elche 1-0 Celta, Villarreal 1-1 Betis, Sevilla 1-0 Real Sociedad, Rayo 1-0 Valencia, Barcelona 4-1 Almeria.
Do Atletico still have a chance of wrestling the La Liga title from Madrid and Barcelona? Let us know by leaving a comment below…