Diego Simeone’s side are top of the table at the halfway stage of the 2024/25 season, having taken 44 points from 19 matches.
The 2024/25 LALIGA EA SPORTS season has reached its halfway point, and it’s Atlético de Madrid who sit in first place. Diego Simeone’s side have collected 44 points from their 19 matches so far, and hold a one-point lead over Real Madrid and a six-point advantage over FC Barcelona.
Throughout the history of the competition, which began in 1929 and is now in its 94th season, 52 of the previous 93 winter champions (56 per cent) finished in first place at the end of those seasons. This trend has become even more pronounced in the three-points-per-win era, as 23 of the 29 winter champions (79 per cent) since 1995/96 have ended up lifting the trophy at the end of the year.
However, Atlético de Madrid haven’t always gone on to lift the trophy after becoming winter champions. This is the ninth time that Los Colchoneros are winter champions (1941/42, 1946/47, 1965/66, 1967/68, 1975/76, 1980/81, 1995/96, 2020/21 and 2024/25). But, they only went on to become summer champions too on three of those occasions (1965/66, 1995/96 and 2020/21).
An encouraging sign for Atlético de Madrid is the fact that the last two times they were winter champions, they went on to clinch the championship. And, Diego Simeone was involved on both occasions, once as a player and once as coach.
In 1995/96, they held a seven-point lead over second-placed SD Compostela at halfway and went on to finish the job, ending up four points ahead of second-placed Valencia CF, while also winning the Copa del Rey to complete a historic double. Four seasons ago, Atleti were top at halfway again, leading Real Madrid by eight points. Although the title race came down to the final day, Los Rojiblancos did indeed finish the job to win the title by two points over their city rivals.
Atleti are a team with momentum
Atlético de Madrid secured this virtual title of winter champions courtesy of a 1-0 victory over CA Osasuna on Sunday. That victory made it 14 wins in a row for Los Rojiblancos across all competitions, which is a club record. As such, they have a lot of momentum at this exciting stage of the season.
It was Julián Álvarez who scored the only goal of the game against CA Osasuna, which was fitting considering he was the only player to feature in all 14 games of the winning run. That was his 13th goal overall this season, which highlights how well he has settled in following his summer transfer to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
Atleti now have two away games coming up, as they will visit Elche CF in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday before a short trip to take on CD Leganés in LALIGA EA SPORTS on Saturday. That’ll be the team’s first fixture of the second half of the league season, when they’ll hope to turn this virtual title of winter champions into a piece of silverware.