Atletico takes Europe by storm

With a 100 percent record in the Champions League and 11 wins from 12 games in La Liga, Atletico Madrid have been one of the revelations of European football this season.

A 4-0 hammering of Austria Vienna on Wednesday meant Atletico joined holders Bayern Munich as the only sides to have won all four of their group games and ensured simple passage into the last-16 on their return to the Champions League for the first time in four years.

Diego Simeone's men also split traditional powerhouses Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga, a point behind the Catalans and five ahead of their city rivals.

However, the high they are currently riding is no flash in the pan. Since Simeone's arrival at the club in December 2011, the man who was a star player the last time Atletico won the league back in 1995/96, has completely turned around what was an underachieving sleeping giant.

Whilst world class talents like Fernando Torres, Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan came and went from the Vicente Calderon, the overall organisation of the club and lack of balance on the field prevented them from ever truly punching their weight over the past decade.

Simeone's arrival brought about an instant change in fortunes. In his first six months in charge the team shot up the table to just miss out on Champions League football on the final day of the season and stormed to the Europa League by winning every single game in the knockout stage.

That was followed by more silverware as they hammered Chelsea 4-1 in the European Super Cup thanks to a Radamel Falcao hat-trick and, powered by the Colombian, they started last season in similar fashion winning 11 of their opening 13 games before being defeated, as the always did, to Real in the Madrid derby.

Simeone's powers of motivation and tactical nous even managed to end that curse though, as Atletico eventually beat Real for the first time in 14 years at the best possible time, in the best possible scenario. A Copa del Rey final at the Santiago Bernabeu, 40,000 Atleti fans there to witness them break down the biggest psychological barrier on enemy territory.

"Before his arrival we were all a little floored because things weren't going well, we had been fairly eliminated from the Copa del Rey by (second division) Albacete," admitted midfielder Koke, the man christened the "new Xavi" by certain sections of the Spanish press.

"The manager arrived and he totally changed this mentality. He showed us how to have a positive mentality and since then everything has gone well."

The continued rise of Atletico's stock this season is arguably Simeone's greatest achievement as they have taken on the extra rigours of Champions League football and coped with Falcao's departure to Monaco without any sort of stumble.

Young players that he has blooded like Koke and Mario Suarez have become regulars in the Spanish squad, whilst Diego Costa's transformation under his tutelage saw Spain and Brazil squabble for the services of the striker who has now scored 16 goals in as many games this season.

Simeone has continued to play down his side's chances of winning La Liga, repeatedly dismissing the competition as a "boring league" which only the big two can win due to the financial disparity between them and the rest.

Therefore, it could on the biggest stage of all where Atletico truly make their mark; the Champions League.

"We trust in our coach because he knows how to draw the maximum from every one of us," full-back Juanfran told the media ahead of the Vienna return.

"It is clear that Atletico has always been a cup team, the elimination format suits us. I am one of those that believe that the Spanish league continues to be the best, the strongest and most competitive, and perhaps it will be harder to win the league than the Champions League."

Unbeaten in their last four meetings with Barca and Madrid, they have already shown they can compete with the continent's best when the distance is reduced to two games rather than 38.

Barca shift focus to Betis

Having sealed their place in the Champions League last 16 with two games to spare and Lionel Messi returning to something near his best, Barcelona are eagerly awaiting Sunday's La Liga clash with Real Betis (2000 GMT).

Messi ended a mini goal drought with a double in Wednesday's 3-1 Group H win at home to AC Milan and the Argentine World Player of the Year will be looking to put a run of four domestic outings for the unbeaten leaders without scoring behind him when struggling Betis visit the Nou Camp.

The 26-year-old, whose season has been disrupted by a couple of minor muscle injuries, delighted his adoring fans when he smashed in a penalty after 30 minutes and sent them into ecstasy when he dashed through the middle and scored with a trademark dinked effort seven minutes from time.

Talk of a Messi crisis dominated the buildup to the game, but his record this term is one most players could only dream of - six goals in three Champions League appearances and eight in 10 La Liga outings.

"I'm calm about the recuperation," Messi said on the UEFA website (www.uefa.com) on Thursday.

"I'm getting my rhythm back bit by bit and I think it really helps to have 90 minutes, then another 90 minutes, back to back so that I can gradually re-establish the tempo and the form I had before," he added.

"This time there have been two injuries really close together and that kind of impact you do notice. But I'm definitely getting past it and I'm happy with my form."

Seville-based Betis, who play at Portuguese side Guimaraes in the Europa League later on Thursday, are mired down in 18th place in the table with just over a quarter of the season played and pressure has been mounting on coach Pepe Mel.

Barca, by contrast, have dropped only two points - in a 0-0 draw at Osasuna last month - and are a point clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid, who play at Villarreal on Sunday (1800).

Barca's arch rivals Real Madrid are a further five points back in third and host fellow Champions League participants Real Sociedad on Saturday (1500).

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Real and Atletico are also through to the Champions League knockout round, although Real's 2-2 draw at Group B rivals Juventus on Tuesday again exposed the defensive frailties that have marked many of the performances this season.

Resurgent under Argentine coach Diego Simeone, Atletico swept Austria Vienna aside 4-0 at the Calderon on Wednesday to record their fourth victory in as many games and seal top spot in Group G.

Real coach Carlo Ancelotti has a fearsome attack at his disposal, led by prolific Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, but his defence has been ragged and San Sebastian-based Sociedad have players with pace and skill capable of taking advantage.

The Basque club's European campaign is all-but over after they lost their first three games in Group A and drew at home to Manchester United on Tuesday, but they will be keen to put on a good show at the Bernabeu.

History is against them, however. Sociedad have played 66 league games at Real's giant stadium and have only managed three wins, the last coming in the 2003-04 season, with 47 defeats.

Midfielder David Zurutuza said one of the lessons learned from the meeting with the English champions was that Sociedad need to exert more control and prevent the swift breakaways that yield many of Real's goals.

"Against teams like Manchester (United) or (Real) Madrid you have to help out your team mates more, you have to close down more space and the physical demands are greater," he said at a news conference on Wednesday.

"Both of them like a back and forth style of play and that's what we have to avoid with a more measured and deliberate approach," he added.

Villarreal tighten grip on fourth spot

Villarreal tightened their grip on fourth place in La Liga when Nigerian forward Ikechukwu Uche's last-gasp strike snatched a 1-0 win at fellow promoted side Elche on Monday.

A hard-fought and entertaining match at Elche's Martinez Valero Stadium in Alicante looked headed for a goalless draw until Uche clipped the ball home from close range in the 90th minute.

The victory lifted the team with the distinctive canary-yellow strip to 23 points from 12 matches, three ahead of fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao, who lost 2-0 at second-placed Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

"We knew how to hang in there and at the end we got that piece of luck we needed," Uche said in an interview with Spanish television broadcaster Cuatro.

"At the moment, we are in a Champions League qualification place but we have to take things step by step," added the pacy 29-year-old.

"The team is having a good season so far and we have to continue down the same path.

"Defensively we were solid and in football I think you have to wait for your chance and finally it came."

Villarreal spent a year in the second division last season and under coach Marcelino have been impressive on their return to the top flight with some attractive attacking football.

They held Real Madrid to a 2-2 draw at their Madrigal stadium in September and recorded a thumping 4-1 home win against Valencia at the end of last month.

Champions Barcelona, who have won 11 and drawn one of their 12 matches, are top on 34 points, with Atletico on 33 in second and Real Madrid third on 28.

Atletico takes Europe by storm

With a 100 percent record in the Champions League and 11 wins from 12 games in La Liga, Atletico Madrid have been one of the revelations of European football this season.

A 4-0 hammering of Austria Vienna on Wednesday meant Atletico joined holders Bayern Munich as the only sides to have won all four of their group games and ensured simple passage into the last-16 on their return to the Champions League for the first time in four years.

Diego Simeone's men also split traditional powerhouses Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga, a point behind the Catalans and five ahead of their city rivals.

However, the high they are currently riding is no flash in the pan. Since Simeone's arrival at the club in December 2011, the man who was a star player the last time Atletico won the league back in 1995/96, has completely turned around what was an underachieving sleeping giant.

Whilst world class talents like Fernando Torres, Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan came and went from the Vicente Calderon, the overall organisation of the club and lack of balance on the field prevented them from ever truly punching their weight over the past decade.

Simeone's arrival brought about an instant change in fortunes. In his first six months in charge the team shot up the table to just miss out on Champions League football on the final day of the season and stormed to the Europa League by winning every single game in the knockout stage.

That was followed by more silverware as they hammered Chelsea 4-1 in the European Super Cup thanks to a Radamel Falcao hat-trick and, powered by the Colombian, they started last season in similar fashion winning 11 of their opening 13 games before being defeated, as the always did, to Real in the Madrid derby.

Simeone's powers of motivation and tactical nous even managed to end that curse though, as Atletico eventually beat Real for the first time in 14 years at the best possible time, in the best possible scenario. A Copa del Rey final at the Santiago Bernabeu, 40,000 Atleti fans there to witness them break down the biggest psychological barrier on enemy territory.

"Before his arrival we were all a little floored because things weren't going well, we had been fairly eliminated from the Copa del Rey by (second division) Albacete," admitted midfielder Koke, the man christened the "new Xavi" by certain sections of the Spanish press.

"The manager arrived and he totally changed this mentality. He showed us how to have a positive mentality and since then everything has gone well."

The continued rise of Atletico's stock this season is arguably Simeone's greatest achievement as they have taken on the extra rigours of Champions League football and coped with Falcao's departure to Monaco without any sort of stumble.

Young players that he has blooded like Koke and Mario Suarez have become regulars in the Spanish squad, whilst Diego Costa's transformation under his tutelage saw Spain and Brazil squabble for the services of the striker who has now scored 16 goals in as many games this season.

Simeone has continued to play down his side's chances of winning La Liga, repeatedly dismissing the competition as a "boring league" which only the big two can win due to the financial disparity between them and the rest.

Therefore, it could on the biggest stage of all where Atletico truly make their mark; the Champions League.

"We trust in our coach because he knows how to draw the maximum from every one of us," full-back Juanfran told the media ahead of the Vienna return.

"It is clear that Atletico has always been a cup team, the elimination format suits us. I am one of those that believe that the Spanish league continues to be the best, the strongest and most competitive, and perhaps it will be harder to win the league than the Champions League."

Unbeaten in their last four meetings with Barca and Madrid, they have already shown they can compete with the continent's best when the distance is reduced to two games rather than 38.

Barca shift focus to Betis

Having sealed their place in the Champions League last 16 with two games to spare and Lionel Messi returning to something near his best, Barcelona are eagerly awaiting Sunday's La Liga clash with Real Betis (2000 GMT).

Messi ended a mini goal drought with a double in Wednesday's 3-1 Group H win at home to AC Milan and the Argentine World Player of the Year will be looking to put a run of four domestic outings for the unbeaten leaders without scoring behind him when struggling Betis visit the Nou Camp.

The 26-year-old, whose season has been disrupted by a couple of minor muscle injuries, delighted his adoring fans when he smashed in a penalty after 30 minutes and sent them into ecstasy when he dashed through the middle and scored with a trademark dinked effort seven minutes from time.

Talk of a Messi crisis dominated the buildup to the game, but his record this term is one most players could only dream of - six goals in three Champions League appearances and eight in 10 La Liga outings.

"I'm calm about the recuperation," Messi said on the UEFA website (www.uefa.com) on Thursday.

"I'm getting my rhythm back bit by bit and I think it really helps to have 90 minutes, then another 90 minutes, back to back so that I can gradually re-establish the tempo and the form I had before," he added.

"This time there have been two injuries really close together and that kind of impact you do notice. But I'm definitely getting past it and I'm happy with my form."

Seville-based Betis, who play at Portuguese side Guimaraes in the Europa League later on Thursday, are mired down in 18th place in the table with just over a quarter of the season played and pressure has been mounting on coach Pepe Mel.

Barca, by contrast, have dropped only two points - in a 0-0 draw at Osasuna last month - and are a point clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid, who play at Villarreal on Sunday (1800).

Barca's arch rivals Real Madrid are a further five points back in third and host fellow Champions League participants Real Sociedad on Saturday (1500).

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Real and Atletico are also through to the Champions League knockout round, although Real's 2-2 draw at Group B rivals Juventus on Tuesday again exposed the defensive frailties that have marked many of the performances this season.

Resurgent under Argentine coach Diego Simeone, Atletico swept Austria Vienna aside 4-0 at the Calderon on Wednesday to record their fourth victory in as many games and seal top spot in Group G.

Real coach Carlo Ancelotti has a fearsome attack at his disposal, led by prolific Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, but his defence has been ragged and San Sebastian-based Sociedad have players with pace and skill capable of taking advantage.

The Basque club's European campaign is all-but over after they lost their first three games in Group A and drew at home to Manchester United on Tuesday, but they will be keen to put on a good show at the Bernabeu.

History is against them, however. Sociedad have played 66 league games at Real's giant stadium and have only managed three wins, the last coming in the 2003-04 season, with 47 defeats.

Midfielder David Zurutuza said one of the lessons learned from the meeting with the English champions was that Sociedad need to exert more control and prevent the swift breakaways that yield many of Real's goals.

"Against teams like Manchester (United) or (Real) Madrid you have to help out your team mates more, you have to close down more space and the physical demands are greater," he said at a news conference on Wednesday.

"Both of them like a back and forth style of play and that's what we have to avoid with a more measured and deliberate approach," he added.

Villarreal tighten grip on fourth spot

Villarreal tightened their grip on fourth place in La Liga when Nigerian forward Ikechukwu Uche's last-gasp strike snatched a 1-0 win at fellow promoted side Elche on Monday.

A hard-fought and entertaining match at Elche's Martinez Valero Stadium in Alicante looked headed for a goalless draw until Uche clipped the ball home from close range in the 90th minute.

The victory lifted the team with the distinctive canary-yellow strip to 23 points from 12 matches, three ahead of fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao, who lost 2-0 at second-placed Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

"We knew how to hang in there and at the end we got that piece of luck we needed," Uche said in an interview with Spanish television broadcaster Cuatro.

"At the moment, we are in a Champions League qualification place but we have to take things step by step," added the pacy 29-year-old.

"The team is having a good season so far and we have to continue down the same path.

"Defensively we were solid and in football I think you have to wait for your chance and finally it came."

Villarreal spent a year in the second division last season and under coach Marcelino have been impressive on their return to the top flight with some attractive attacking football.

They held Real Madrid to a 2-2 draw at their Madrigal stadium in September and recorded a thumping 4-1 home win against Valencia at the end of last month.

Champions Barcelona, who have won 11 and drawn one of their 12 matches, are top on 34 points, with Atletico on 33 in second and Real Madrid third on 28.

Atletico underline title credentials

Atletico Madrid's challenge to heavyweights Barcelona and Real Madrid showed no sign of flagging when goals from David Villa and Diego Costa secured a 2-0 home win over Athletic Bilbao in La Liga on Sunday.

The victory at a festive Calderon, Atletico's 11th in 12 matches this season, trimmed the gap to unbeaten leaders Barca back to one point and restored their five-point advantage over city rivals Real in third.

Champions Barca, 1-0 winners at home to Espanyol in Friday's Catalan derby, have 34 points, with Atletico on 33 and Real, who beat Rayo Vallecano 3-2 on Saturday, on 28.

Villa, who joined Atletico from Barca in the close season, opened the scoring in the 33rd minute with a well-taken volley and Costa raced on to a Koke through ball seven minutes later and finished clinically past Bilbao goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz.

It was the Brazil-born forward's 13th La Liga goal of the campaign, putting him level at the top of the scoring chart with Real's Portugal international Cristiano Ronaldo.

Bilbao, who did not manage a single shot on target, played the final 10 minutes with 10 men after substitute Erik Moran picked up two bookings and they stayed fifth on 20 points.
Valencia were the last team apart from Barca or Real to win La Liga back in 2004. Only Villarreal have broken the stranglehold of the world's richest clubs by income on the top two places since, coming second behind Real and ahead of third-placed Barca in 2008.
Atletico have less than a quarter of the annual budget of Real and Barca and a limited squad but have been transformed into genuine title contenders by Argentine coach Diego Simeone.
Only three teams have recorded 11 wins in their opening 12 games of a La Liga season, Real in 1961 and 1991, Barca in 2012 and 2013 and Atletico in 2013.
The club nicknamed 'the mattress makers' are also flying in Europe and have won all three Champions League Group G matches ahead of Wednesday's game at home to Austria Vienna.
"We had a good rhythm to our play and we managed to dominate the match," Simeone, who was an Atletico player when they last won the title in 1996, told a news conference.
"It fills us with pride to be able to compete, above all for the fans," added the 43-year-old.
Valencia, who are a shadow of the 2004 champions after years of financial struggles, ended a run of three successive defeats and eased the pressure on Serbian coach Miroslav Djukic when they won 1-0 at Getafe in an ugly encounter earlier on Sunday.
Dorlan Pabon struck the only goal in the 41st minute at the Coliseum and the game ended with brawling Valencia goalkeeper Vicente Guaita and Getafe defender Alexis Ruano having to be separated by officials and teammates.
The victory lifted the visitors to ninth with 16 points from 12 matches while Getafe stayed sixth on 19.
"We were in a tough situation but the team knew how to respond at a difficult stadium against a team that is playing very well," Valencia midfielder Dani Parejo told Canal Plus television.
"I think we are coming away from here in much better shape. The coach told us to stay calm, ignore the pressure and just enjoy the game.