5 Key Fixtures for Atletico Madrid Fans to Focus on in 2016/17 La Liga Season
The release of the 2016/17 Primera Division fixtures saw everyone, as usual, immediately look to see when the two Clasico fixtures were due to take place before looking for other key fixtures for Barcelona and Real Madrid, but what about Atletico Madrid?
Diego Simeone's side are often harshly overlooked, but after running Barca close in the league and losing on penalties to Real in the Champions League final last term, Diego Simeone's side will be revved up and ready to go again in the new campaign.
When are their key fixtures, though? And who are the opponents Atleti fans should be keeping an eye on?
Here are five dates to circle on your calendar.
Leganes (Away), 28 August, 2016
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No Atletico supporter needs reminding of the 2-1 defeat to already-relegated Levante at the tail end of the 2015/16 season, and the beginning of the new campaign throws up two matches against two of the promoted sides.
After a home clash with Alaves on the opening weekend, Atletico's first away game of the season comes at Leganes, and it will be exactly the type of contest that could remind Diego Simeone and his players of the horrors of the Levante defeat.
Like it or not, Simeone's success with his Atletico side has made them a scalp for the lesser lights of La Liga these days, and in Leganes' first match at home in the top level of Spanish football, that feeling will only be amplified.
A tough test awaits at the 8,000-capacity Estadio Municipal de Butarque, and if Simeone's players aren't ready for it, then they could be punished.
Barcelona (Away), 21 September, 2016
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Tantalisingly, Atletico's league trip to the Camp Nou this season comes just five matches into the campaign and is a midweek fixture, something that is sure to conjure up memories of last season's meetings in the Champions League quarter-finals.
In the first leg of that clash, Fernando Torres was one of three Atleti players to be sent off at Barca's home ground last season, following on from Filipe Luis and Diego Godin in the league fixture.
Both games ended in 2-1 defeats, but the visitors weren't disgraced in either, and Simeone would doubtless point to the 2-0 win in the second leg of that Champions League tie as evidence his side can get one over on Luis Enrique's.
With this clash coming so early in the season, it cannot be held up to represent any sort of lasting blow in the title race, but a win for the visitors would be huge.
Real Madrid (Home), 20 November, 2016
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The first chance for Champions League final revenge over city rivals Real Madrid comes near the end of November, when Los Blancos take the short trip to the Vicente Calderon.
Real have only won one of the last 13 meetings between the rivals in normal time. Remarkably, two draws in that run were in Champions League finals—Real winning in extra time in 2014 and on penalties in 2016—and the sole victory in 90 minutes came in the quarter-finals of the same competition, signifying Atletico have usually got the better of the contests when they are of a domestic nature.
Simeone will be seeking to keep that run going here, with Atletico seeking to go one better than last season's 1-1 draw, which was salvaged thanks to a late equaliser from Luciano Vietto.
Sporting Gijon (Away), 19 February, 2017
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If last season's matches against Sporting Gijon are anything to go by, then supporters aren't going to want to leave this one early.
Last November, a stoppage-time strike from Antoine Griezmann gave Atletico a 1-0 win and a crucial three points in what was a title chase gathering momentum. But after Griezmann struck to put Atleti 1-0 up at El Molinon in March, the hosts scored twice in the final 11 minutes to remarkably win 2-1.
It was a huge result in both clubs' seasons, as Sporting escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth and Atletico just fell short in the title race. As such, the clash will be looming large in Simeone's mind should his men be challenging for glory by the time it rolls around in February.
He won't want a repeat of March's result—but last November's would do nicely.
Real Madrid (Away), 9 April, 2017
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The second Madrid derby of the season, in league combat anyway, could well have a lot riding upon it.
Only seven league fixtures will remain after the two rivals meet at the Santiago Bernabeu in April, and whatever Barcelona are doing at that point, they are almost certainly going to be being chased down by the capital city's leading clubs, who will go toe-to-toe with only one thing in mind: winning.
As discussed in an earlier slide, Real have a fairly poor recent record when it comes to domestic matches between these two, and with Simeone's side having won each of the last three league clashes at the Bernabeu, a fourth could end up having a huge bearing upon the title race.
All dates are subject to change because of television schedules or European commitments.
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