Liga: The two Madrid teams close 2024 at the top, Valencia fears relegation

Madrid 30 December 2024 - Another year of football in Spain comes to an end and also in this new season the title issue is in League seems precluded from the top triptych composed of Real Madrid, Barcelona e Atletico. After an initial run of victories, initially interrupted only by theOsasuna, the Blaugrana seemed to be able to escape and weaken the resistance of their two rivals before the halfway point, but that was not to be. The rise of the boys of Hansi flick has been as vertical as their difficulties in recent weeks have been unexpected. Often youthful problems, between the naivety of the youngest and inaccuracies, the end of this 2024 has not smiled on the Catalans, overtaken by Atletico e Real on the last day of the calendar year.

In fact, the Colchoneros currently sit at the top Diego Simeone, as usual a comfortable third place in the duopoly between Real e Barcelona, but rarely seen with this consistency in terms of results. In fact, if much attention has been paid to the duel between the terrible kids of Barça, against the Spanish and European champions of the Blancos, it is the red and whites who have conceded little or nothing in their matches so far.Atletico is showing an evolved version of its football, abandoning the purely defensive style typical of the so-called "Cholismo". The addition of Julian Alvarez placeholder image he gave the team a perfect maneuvering center forward: a man who combines hard work with plays, perfect to match the crystalline talent of Griezmann. A perfect combination when combined with Atletico's more vertical game. 

Simeon he managed to integrate his new arrivals perfectly, evolving his work, while instead, partly due to injuries, partly due to the difficulty of managing a similar group, he did not succeed Carlo Ancelotti. Finding himself with a Kylian Mbappé in addition, but also many injured players in the back line to manage. The first place in cohabitation with the city rivals is ultimately a very positive result, net of a Champions League still to be decided. If we add to this the return in view of Alaba, in addition to the possibility of intervening on the market, in the second part of League the immense quality of the Madrid squad could emerge. 

Deal done at the top? Probably yes, but another team, above all, is dreaming of breaking this trio: theAthletic Club of Bilbao. Under the guidance of Valverde in fact the Basques not only found Europe again last year, but now they dream of the Champions League and they do it just 4 points from the top of the league. The red and whites are in fact making an important selection for fourth place, having extended their lead in the last few days on Villareal e Maiorca. A very heated European fight, because from fifth to eleventh place there are only 6 points, which include, in addition to the yellow submarine and the Majorcans, also Real Sociedad, Girona, Real Betis, Osasuna e Celta Vigo. 

A situation similar to that of the fight for Europe is the one related to the safety zone. In fact, there are six teams gathered in six points in the lower reaches of the table. In fact, if the situations of Thunderbolt Vallecano, Las Palmas e Seville; the Leganes leads the train of teams clinging to the League. They would currently be relegated Espanyol, Valencia e Valladolid, but the fight is more alive than ever. The team owned by appears to be in the most difficulty Ronaldo the phenomenon, which after the success in the direct clash against the Valencians continues to collect defeats. TheEspanyol is in decline, but among the three at the back of the group it is the closest to the group in front of him, while it is a deep crisis at home Valencia. "El Pipo" sacked Card decks, a legend on the club's pitch and the author of an incredible salvation two years ago, last year performed the miracle by bringing the team to within a few steps of Europe. A Corberan the arduous task of salvation, amidst the heated protests for the presidency of Peter lim and a market without money, indeed with the prospect of further sales, for a giant of Spanish football that is teetering on the brink of collapse.

The Liga standings

This is the ranking of the League Spanish after eighteen days:

Atletico Madrid 31, Real Madrid 40, Barcelona 38 (*), Athletic Club Bilbao 36 (*), Villareal 30, Mallorca 30, Real Sociedad 25, Girona 25, Real Betis 25, Osasuna 25, Celta Vigo 24, Rayo Vallecano 22, Las Palmas 22, Sevilla 22, Leganes 18, Deportivo Alaves 17, Getafe 16, Espanyol 15, Valencia 12 (**), Real Valladolid 12.

* One more game played

** One game less played