Have Atletico Madrid got what it takes?

Diego Simeone's side has enjoyed a tremendous season

Decades have flown by since someone else other than Real Madrid and Barcelona could lay their hands on the La Liga title.It's often been described as a two-horsed title race by fans who have seen years go by only to witness a new Champion in either one of the sides.The likes of Lionel Messi,Ronaldo 9,Ronaldinho,David Beckham and Thierry  Henry occupied the back pages during the previous decade but this on-going trend may be on the brink of an extinction. The La Liga title race has now given birth to another formidable contender in the name of Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid. 

After undergoing a complete transformation of abilities under Diego Simeone,Atletico Madrid look very much set to dethrone the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona.But,the biggest question which arises is that can the Los Indios somehow disrupt the routine that has been continued for ages in Spain?

You can argue how much you can but still,I think,they're not yet ready for it.After offloading Colombian star Radamel Falcao,people might have got the feeling that their short-lived presence in the top-half has come to an end.But they never knew that the then loaned out Diego Costa will step into the boots of Falcao and will outstage his exploits.And the capture of David Villa was equally crucial and effective.The likes of Koke and Arda Turan have managed to finally prove their appropriate worth to the fans.

But,Simeone's side depends heavily on Costa,Koke and Turan who have quite simply,carried the bulk of the team on their shoulders.They have been among the goals and assists this season and the inclusion of full-backs namely Juanfran and Felipe Luis in the play has also played a key role in their conquest.And there have been occasions when these three have not featured,but in those games Atletico have lacked the killer instinct.Let's take a look at some of Diego Costa's statistics

He has featured in all games for the Los Indios and that is the main reason why Atletico have fared well till now.Now,here's the same from Koke's-

The same can be seen here.Koke has featured in every game for the men in red and white and again,it proves why Atletico are not yet ready for challenging for the title and may not go all the way.They are heavily dependent on their first 12 and Simeone has not managed to rotate the squad at all.The likes of Emilio Insua,Mario Suarez and Toby Alderwield have not been given enough opportunities to prove their mettle.Even in a dead rubber game against Zenit,they fielded a side which consisted of 8 regulars and that's why they didn't lose.

Their defence has experienced some very good outing this season but have been excessively dependent on their regular back four,especially on Diego Godin.