Atlético de Madrid, winter champion of the Spanish League
Cholo Simeone's team finishes the first round of the tournament with 44 points, ahead of Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
Atletico players celebrate the goal against Osasuna.
Atletico Madrid was crowned winter champion of the Spanish soccer league after its narrow win over Osasuna. The team, led by Argentine coach Diego Pablo "Cholo" Simeone, finished the first half of the season with 44 points, one ahead of Real Madrid and six behind FC Barcelona.
The Madrid side has regained the defensive strength lost in previous seasons, conceding only 12 goals in the 19 games played. This defensive strength, a hallmark of Simeone's teams, combined with their goal-scoring efficiency, particularly from star signings—Julián "The Spider" Álvarez and Swedish forward Alexander Sorloth—explains why Atlético is ahead of teams with much larger budgets.
Record number of consecutive victories
After a shaky start, the red-and-white team has also surpassed its previous record for consecutive victories across all competitions, which now stands at 14.
Osasuna proved to be a tough opponent for Simeone's team. With a solid and organized defense, Atlético found it challenging to create chances after a fast start, in which Antoine Griezmann had a goal that was disallowed for a handball.
It was Julián Álvarez who broke the deadlock in the second half, scoring the only goal of the match. He capitalized on a header from defender Clement Lenglet to beat goalkeeper Sergio Herrera. The play was set up by a brilliant pass into the box from Griezmann, once again one of the standout players on the field.
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