Atletico Madrid did not have the chance to take advantage of a slip up from La Liga leaders this weekend past, as Barcelona beat Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. Instead they went down Real Betis, and the gap to the top widened to 10 points, with many declaring it the end of the title race for Los Rojiblancos.
Diego Simeone‘s side hit the woodwork twice in the closing stages, but were fortunate not to concede more, and ultimately could not come back from an early goal down. As pointed out by Relevo, Atletico Madrid have not come from behind to win a game away from home since September 2021, more than three years ago, when they beat Getafe 2-1.
💣🚨 BREAKING: Andrea Berta is nearing the end of his time at Atlético Madrid because the club has lost their trust in him and also because of Carlos Bucero’s rising influence.
He is no longer involved in making key decisions, and on the club’s current organizational chart,… pic.twitter.com/PTwhG9uXsf
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) October 30, 2024
It’s a run that has seen them go behind on 21 occasions, and come away with just four points from draws in that time. Two of those were this season, against Villarreal and Rayo Vallecano, with the other instances also against the Yellow Submarine and Real Madrid.
It is further evidence of the consistent struggles that Simeone’s side are having. A solid nine-month spell stands out for Atletico in 2023, amongst a rather disappointing three years since they won La Liga in 2021. This season Atletico have invested heavily in their playing squad, but that investment is yet to show on the pitch.