Atletico threaten Big Two’s reign in Spain

Something most unusual is happening in Spain. There are signs that La Liga could turn into a genuine competition.

The weekend’s results were a setback for the outsiders Atletico Madrid. They lost 2-0 at Almeria, while the Big Two both won, each scoring four times in the process. Even so all three sides are level on points at the top of the table, with Barcelona in the lead on goal difference.

Spanish football has been so dominated by the head-to-head between Barcelona and Real Madrid that you have go back more than 30 years to find a three-way tie at this stage. In 1983 the outsiders were Athletic Bilbao and the Basque side went on to take the title by a single point ahead of Madrid.