Sergio Busquets Names Atletico a Bigger La Liga Danger Than Real Madrid

Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets has poured fuel on the fire of his club's rivalry with Real Madrid, claiming La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid are a bigger threat than Los Merengues.

The Blaugrana currently sit second in La Liga, two points behind Los Rojiblancos with a game in hand, and Busquets told Toni Juanmarti of Catalan daily Sport Atleti are "stronger" than Real:

"At the moment, you can say Atletico are stronger than Real Madrid. Everyone believes that they will fight for the title. They're getting better all the time, they have really good players and they'll be there until the end of the season."

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Busquets' comments are a double blow for Los Blancos due to the fact Zinedine Zidane's side have a rivalry with both Barca and Atletico, and their current position of third in La Liga is a bitter pill to swallow.

Real are four points behind local rivals Atleti, who have once again gone about breaking the duopoly that La Liga's two titans have long held.

BBC Sport's Andy West recently highlighted Atleti's resilient form at the summit of Spain's top flight:

Los Rojiblancos staged a major upset by winning the La Liga crown in 2014, bringing an end to their 18-year hiatus without a league title.

Another win in 2016 would show just how Argentinian boss Diego Simeone has gone about transforming the club into a much more consistent threat, while Real have lately gone through a period of uncertainty.

ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan pointed out Atleti have also had the least amount of help from the penalty spot:

Reigning champions Barca are in a prime position to reclaim the Liga lead when they play their game in hand, but if Blaugrana fans had to choose one Madrid club to take their title, it would almost certainly be Atletico.

The El Clasico derby is regarded as one of the fiercest rivalries in European football, but Real will be disappointed by being bested by not just one, but two of their most bitter opponents.

Atletico full-back Juanfran has tipped Simeone to establish a dynasty at the Vicente Calderon similar to that of former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.

He told Spanish radio station Onda Cero (h/t Goal's Joe Wright):

"

He doesn't give me the feeling that he can leave. He signed until 2020 and he can extend that, for him there is no better team than ours. He feels what this club is—why can't he be the Ferguson of Atleti?

I've heard that they're [Real Madrid] more comfortable with him [new manager Zinedine Zidane]. It's clear they're getting good results, they're going to fight for all competitions. [But] we have the best coach in the world. 

What is playing well? For us it's to defend well, to feel good when the goalkeeper has little to do, to counter-attack well, that Koke moves between the lines and [Antoine] Griezmann is decisive, as happened yesterday [on Sunday against Las Palmas]. Atletico play well the way I look at it. A fan of Barca or Madrid won't like us but our way of playing is what we want.

"

The old adage about attack winning games and defence winning championships appears to be ringing true for Atletico so far. Simeone's leaders have scored just 30 goals in 20 games, while Real Madrid have bagged 57 in the same number of matches, and Barcelona have netted 50 in 19 outings.

Real Madrid TV presenter Phil Kitromilides was only too happy to highlight Atleti's offensive shortcomings, but after leaking just eight goals, it's evident they're thriving in other areas:

Busquets also shed some light on which players he's used for inspiration during his career: "I didn’t have a clear idol, but I looked at players with tactical similarities. I looked at Patrick Vieira, then Xavi and also Yaya Toure. I have to say that I learnt a lot from Yaya."

The inclusion of former team-mate Toure is something of a surprise given the Ivory Coast international only reached his peak after moving to Manchester City in 2010.

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That being said, Barcelona legend and former Camp Nou staple Xavi is a much more expected answer, a player who would have helped shape Busquets into the title-winning champion he's become.

The last time Atletico enjoyed a period of sustained league title contention was when they won back-to-back La Liga trophies in 1950 and 1951, but the club has its chance to make a dent in the pecking order once again.

According to Busquets, Los Rojiblancos are only improving under their current manager, and the arrival of a third Spanish powerhouse could see both Barca and Real struggle to dominate the domestic ranks.