3 reasons why Atletico Madrid can break the Real Madrid and Barcelona duopoly next season

#2 They have kept their core intact

Jan Oblak - safe hands

Atletico’s biggest task in the off-season was to keep hold of Antoine Griezmann. He had been linked to all the major clubs in Europe, with Barcelona seemingly leading the race for his signature.

However, Griezmann put all those rumours to bed by pledging his future to Atletico Madrid. In addition to Griezmann, Atletico have done very well to keep hold of the likes of Jan Oblak, Jose Gimenez and Lucas Hernandez.

Jan Oblak is one of the best goalies in the world, and has bailed Atletico out of tricky situations on a number of occasions. Gimenez has slowly started stamping his mark on the footballing world with his robust performances in central defence.

Atletico’s success is built upon its solid defensive foundation. They have a settled defence line with Juanfran, Lucas Hernandez and the Uruguayan duo of Godin and Gimenez.

Up front, they have the enigmatic Diego Costa to call upon. Costa did not do his reputation any harm at the World Cup as he was at his aggressive best. He bullied defenders and got on the score-sheet thrice.

In midfield, Koke and Saul have been mainstays for a couple of seasons, and they are set to continue this trend.

Atletico have maintained the core that brought them success last year. They have the perfect platform to build upon. The stability in their side is what earmarks them as serious contenders to lift the La Liga trophy next season.