TSome teams are fighting for the title, while others are trying to stay in the final stages of the season.
Atletico Madrid are in that position.
It’s not Barcelona who are setting the pace in La Liga, nor Real Madrid who are still trying to catch up. Atlético Madrid are doing something different.
He plays to stay in the standings,
And that recent moment helps us understand it better.
Prior to their 3-2 win over Athletic Club, Atlético had just lost 3-2 to Elche CF on April 22 at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero. Although the table did not move much, the result left a feeling of discomfort.
That’s why what happened next was important.
Today, April 25, 2026, the match at Riyadh Air Metropolitano ended with Atlético defeating Athletic Club 3-2 as time passed.
Alexander Sourlos opened the scoring, Julian Alvarez extended the lead and Antoine Griezmann appeared to score the third goal.
Meanwhile, Iaki Williams and Oihan Sunset kept the match moving until the end.
It wasn’t a controlled game from start to finish, but it was a game that Atlético needed to win.
Because what was at stake was not to keep dropping down the rankings more than getting closer to the top.
And there is a difference.
Atletico are currently in 4th place with 60 points after 33 games. They are far from the top of the table in a league that already seems to be reaching its peak.
But that doesn’t take him out of context. Because his goal at the moment is to stay there and try to climb a little higher if possible.
Next match:
The next match is against Valencia CF at the Mestalla on May 2nd, but every point is valuable at this time of year. Not to catch up with Barcelona, but to not be left behind.
