On 18 May 2014, Atletico Madrid held on bravely against an admittedly lacklustre Barcelona at Camp Nou to secure a draw on the final day of the season, in the process becoming just the second team other than Real Madrid and Barcelona to claim the title since the turn of the century.
Diego Simeone had trained and grafted a team so good that they were one minute away from winning the Champions League as well before Ramos popped up with a customary injury-time header.
Also Read: Diego Simeone’s Atletico armed to go all the way in the Champions League
Even though still a major force in Europe, things in La Liga haven't quite gone so well for Atletico since. Having conceded the title by 16 points to Barcelona the following season, even 2015-16 witnessed an Atletico that failed to capitalise on the many shortcomings of Real and Barca. Even though the gap was just three points in the end, Real always seemed the likelier team to upend Barcelona in the event of their collapse.
2016-17 already has the feel that Atletico will have to wait to repeat their remarkable feat – having played 22 games, they are 7 points behind leaders Real who have 2 games in hand.
Here are 5 reasons why Atletico won't win La Liga this season:
#1 The gap to the top is too high
At the end of the day, it might simply come down to this – Atletico have lost too much ground on their rivals already to make up before the end of the season. Seven points behind Real who have a game in hand, even a spectacular collapse on Real's part has Barca and Sevilla hungrily waiting in the wings.
With Barcelona effectively out of the Champions League after their first leg debacle against PSG, they will be eager to ensure any slip up on Real's part proves costly. On the other hand, if Barca and Real both were to slip up, ambitious Jorge Sampaoli would definitely be disappointed if he wasn't at the head of the queue to take advantage and take his Sevilla team to the title.
Therefore, for Atletico to make a defiant comeback requires slip-ups on the part of all 3 of the other contenders, which is a bit of a stretch to say the least.
#2 They don't score enough goals
Atletico has an immaculate defensive record. During their title-winning season, their tally of 77 goals scored paled in comparison with the 100 and 104 by Barca and Real respectively, but their impeccable defence ensured that this was not to turn out to be an impediment. If it had come down to goal difference at the end of the season, however, the story might well have turned out different.
The story has been similar in the current season – Real (56) and Barca (63) have scored way more goals than any of their competitors and accordingly, their goal difference is completely out of reach. If Atletico are to claw their way back, a simple catching up won't do – they would need to be clearly ahead of their rivals in terms of points to make the advantage count.
A lack of goals throughout the team (due in part to over-reliance on Griezmann) has also led to home draws against Alaves and Espanyol, not to mention costly away draws and losses against other lesser teams. For all their graft, Atletico do not have enough X-factor at the offensive end to turn 1 point to 3 points on rougher days.
#3 Constant speculation over Griezmann and Simeone's future
In a team that has thrived on the collective, it is clear that the sheen of Griezmann and Simeone stand out as two world class names among the crop. The French forward has repeatedly alluded his remarkable rise to the mentoring of Simeone; the Argentine manager himself has expressed pride at seeing an Atletico name up for honours at the Ballon d'Or. It is clear that the two have great mutual respect for each other.
Considering their importance for this Atletico side, it does not help that their futures are a matter of weekly media speculation. Manchester United's courting of Greizmann is similar to their pursuit of Paul Pogba – and if the conclusion of both pursuits turn out to be the same, that won't be good news for Atletico Madrid.
For all talk of footballers being professionals, they are inevitably human – one can't help but wonder whether Griezmann has an image of Old Trafford in his mind already every time he steps on the pitch for Atletico.
Simeone has hinted at his intentions previously by cutting short the length of his contract so that it expires by 2018. His son, Giovanni, has said previously said that he envisages his father in the Inter Milan dugout sooner or later; a view which was confirmed afterwards by Simeone himself. Two heartbreaks in three Champions League finals has drained a lot off Simeone – one wonders how much he has left to give Atletico.
#4 Failure to turn up in the big games
In their title-winning season, in six games against Real, Barca and Sevilla, Atletico amassed a total of 10 points – not losing even once. The highlight, of course, was when Atletico held on against Barca at Camp Nou on the final day of the season despite losing Diego Costa and Arda Turan to injuries in the first 30 minutes (thus robbing Simeone's hand of two tactical substitutions he could have made). Atletico were mentally resilient – and they made the big occasions count.
In the present season, however, they have already lost to Real at home and Sevilla away, and escaped with a point against Barca at Camp Nou. When you have a clear gap in points with your title rivals, the most direct route towards making it up is beating them – yet Atletico's record in the big games in the league this season leaves a lot to be desired.
Therefore, even with home games coming up against Barca and Sevilla, not many La Liga fans would put their money on Atletico making the occasion count to their advantage.
#5 Injury woes
Most teams around the world that boast a solid defence usually rely on an unchanged back four and goalkeeper – the case being no different for Atletico, arguably possessing the most reliable defence in Europe. Losing goalkeeper to Jan Oblak to a dislocated shoulder in December, therefore, was a huge blow.
The recent groin injury to Diego Godin cost the defence yet another reliable stalwart. Working under a restrained budget as Atletico's, a level of fortune with player availability becomes fundamentally important – unlike the likes of Real and Barca, Atletico does not have the luxury of being able to replace world class players with similar replacements off the bench at will.
It is in this respect that Atletico has perhaps run out of luck this term – untimely and often unlucky injuries to key players.
Perhaps Atletico might not catch up with the others – but if there is one team you can back on to keep fighting till the very end, it is Simeone's men. With all the odds stacked against them, league success seems unlikely, but perhaps Atletico can enjoy the long awaited taste of European success.
