Atlético Madrid's impossible dream: Can Simeone's men mount a miracle title charge?
With an 11-point gap to Barcelona, Atlético Madrid begin the second half of their La Liga campaign against Alavés at the Metropolitano, chasing what seems an impossible dream.
Eleven points adrift of Barcelona and without a home game in over a month, Atlético Madrid return to the Metropolitano looking to begin what would be the most improbable title charge in La Liga history.
Mission Impossible
The first half of the season hasn’t exactly gone according to plan for Diego Simeone’s men. A dreadful start saw them collect just two points from their opening three matches, including dropping points against today’s opponents Alavés. Despite briefly threatening to close the gap on Barcelona in early December, subsequent defeats to the Catalan giants and Athletic Club, plus a draw with Real Sociedad to kick off 2026, have left Atleti staring at an 11-point mountain to climb.
No team in La Liga history has ever overturned such a deficit in just half a season. It’s proper Adam and Eve territory - you’d hardly believe it possible.
With their title hopes hanging by the thinnest of threads, Atlético must return to the Cholismo philosophy that’s served them so well - the famous ‘partido a partido’ (game by game) approach starts today against Eduardo Coudet’s Alavés.
Home Comforts
The Metropolitano faithful will be buzzing to see their team back on home soil for the first time since December 13th, when they hosted Valencia. On that occasion, Antoine Griezmann played the hero - a role he reprised just days ago in the Copa del Rey, guiding Atlético to the quarter-finals with another masterclass performance.
The Frenchman looks set to start again today, continuing to cement his legendary status at the club as he leads from the front.
Visitors in Need
Alavés arrive in Madrid with their own pressing concerns, albeit at the opposite end of the table. The Vitoria-based side are desperate to pull away from the relegation zone and will take confidence from their midweek Copa del Rey progress.
Coudet’s men showed promising signs in the first half against Villarreal recently, but finishing remains their Achilles’ heel. They create plenty but convert too few, though Toni Martínez’s good form offers some hope of an upset in the capital.
Two Teams, Different Dreams
While Atlético chase the impossible dream of a title charge, Alavés are focused on the very real possibility of relegation. Different objectives but equally vital for both sides’ seasons.
For the hosts, today marks the beginning of what they hope will be a winning streak to keep their faint title hopes alive before turning attention to their Champions League last-16 tie against Galatasaray.
For Alavés, it’s another opportunity to prove they belong in Spain’s top flight.