Atletico are Spanish champions
Atletico Madrid edged city rivals Real Madrid to the La Liga title in dramatic fashion after coming from behind to beat Real Valladolid 2-1 in the final game.
Diego Simeone’s side trailed to Oscar Plano’s strike but turned the match around in the second half through goals from Angel Correa and Luis Suarez.
Real scored twice late on to beat Villarreal 2-1 but
came up short as they needed Atletico to drop points. The results mean Atletico end the season on 86 points, two ahead of second-placed Madrid and seven above thirdplaced Barcelona.
It’s the eleventh time that Atletico have been crowned champions of Spain, with just three of them coming in the last 40 years, in 1996, 2014 and now 2021.
It was a highly satisfactory triumph for Los
Colchoneros as they finished just two points ahead of defending champions Real, who end the season without silverware.
Simeone has now won two La Liga titles, a Copa del Rey and a Supercopa Espana in a decade in charge, as well as two Europa League successes and two UEFA Super Cups. Atletico have been title favourites for much of the season, leading the league table since
December 5 when they went top with a 2-0 win, also over Valladolid.
Barcelona — playing without skipper Lionel Messi, who was resting before the summer’s Copa America — won 1-0 at Eibar through Antoine Griezmann’s acrobatic strike and clinched third place ahead of Sevilla.
Julen Lopetegui’s side play their final game on Sunday against Alaves but will finish fourth with a win.