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Atletico Madrid have been the best team in the 2020-21 season of the La Liga. They have managed to outshine two perennial powerhouses in Real Madrid and Barcelona to go top of the league table.
Diego Simeone's men have won 13 of their 16 La Liga games this season. They are currently four points clear of defending champions Real Madrid, with two games in hand.
Atletico Madrid's only loss of this year's league campaign came at the hands of their cross-town rivals. However, the Rojiblancos have recovered from that loss to win five games on the trot.
On that note, let us take a look at five reasons why Atletico Madrid look to be on their way to winning their first La Liga title in seven years.
#1 Atletico Madrid's fortress at home
Barring a goalless draw against Villareal, Atletico Madrid have won eight of their nine home games in the La Liga this season.
The Rojiblancos have scored 21 times and conceded a meagre two goals while keeping seven impressive clean sheets at the Wanda Metropolitano. During this period, Atletico Madrid also floored a direct title rival - Barcelona - by a solitary goal.
It marked the first time in 18 attempts that Diego Simeone conjured a league win against the Blaugrana, with Yannick Carrasco scoring the only goal of the game for Atletico Madrid.
Before this win, the Argentine tactician lost 11 La Liga games against Barcelona while managing to draw against the Blaugrana on six occasions.
#2 Form on the road
Atletico Madrid have not just been impressive at home in the La Liga. They have also found success on the road, winning five of their seven games.
On either side of their solitary loss of the campaign at Real Madrid, the Rojiblancos have won at Celta Vigo, Osasuna, Valencia, Real Sociedad and Alaves.
Apart from their defeat against the Los Blancos, Atletico Madrid only dropped points on the road against Huesca in a goalless draw against the newly-promoted side.
The form of Diego Simeone's men on the road does not augur well for Real Madrid and Barcelona's title hopes. The two Spanish giants have been less than impressive in away games in the league this season.
#3 Luis Suarez's arrival
Atletico Madrid pulled off a coup of sorts when they managed to sign Luis Suarez, who was deemed surplus to requirements at Barcelona. The Uruguayan is one of the most prolific marksmen in the competition and has continued to score goals at his new club as well.
The 33-year-old centre-forward scored a brace and provided an assist on his Atletico Madrid debut against Granada and hasn't looked back since.
Suarez, who conjured up his 150th La Liga goal during his brace in the 3-1 home win over Elche, has scored nine league goals for Atletico Madrid in 13 games and also has two assists to his name.
During a less than prolific season by his staggering standards - Suarez scored 'only' 16 La Liga goals last season. The Uruguayan is on a mission to prove his naysayers wrong and show that he still has a few good years left in him.
#4 Joao Felix's coming of age
Atletico Madrid splurged the cash to land Portuguese sensation Joao Felix last summer.
Despite arriving with much fanfare, Felix failed to live up to his gargantuan price tag. Enduring a largely underwhelming debut La Liga season for the Rojiblancos, Felix managed only six goals and an assist in 27 games.
However, Felix has been a man reborn this season. The 21-year-old has already netted five times and assisted on four occasions in only 15 league games in Atletico's current campaign.
Felix is not yet the finished product, but his improved form has vindicated Atletico Madrid's huge investment in him. If the youngster continues his fine start to the season, Atletico Madrid could realistically hope to win their first La Liga title in seven years.
#5 The indifferent form of Atletico Madrid's title rivals
Defending La Liga winners Real Madrid and Barcelona have dropped too many points in the current campaign.
Although the Los Blancos are second in the league table, they are four points adrift of league leaders Atletico Madrid, having played two games more than the Rojiblancos. Zidane's men have struggled for consistency this season, winning only 11 of their 18 league games while losing thrice and drawing on four occasions.
Meanwhile, Barcelona have fared worse than Madrid in this year's La Liga. The Blaugrana have endured a tough start to life under new manager Ronald Koeman and have only recently recovered their mojo.
Barcelona are third in the La Liga table, winning only ten of their 18 games. If Atletico Madrid win their two games in hand, they will go ten clear of Real Madrid and move 11 points ahead of Barcelona.
Although there are tough games to come - Atletico Madrid are yet to play at Barcelona and host Real Madrid. If the Rojiblancos manage to eke out favourable results in these two games, it will be hard to stop them from winning the league this season.
