The usual problems as Atletico Madrid fall out of the title race

For the seventh time in LaLiga 2025/26, Atletico Madrid dropped points away from home last weekend. A 1-1 draw with a rejuvenated Real Sociedad, who were playing their first game under Pellegrino Matarazzo, saw Los Rojiblancos lose out to Real Madrid and Barcelona in a title race that may not even be there yet.

In the middle of the “big three” season, Atleti has 11 points at the top. Only Barca’s spectacular collapse could open the door for Diego Simeone’s side in this position.

Unlike their two rivals, there is not the same pressure on Atletico Madrid to win trophies every season. However, they are now expected to at least compete for silverware, and push the two giants of Spanish football all the way to LaLiga.

Worryingly, they seem to have entered a recurring cycle of domestic excellence, but weakness, in the years since they last won the title in the Covid-affected 2020/21 season.

The Fortress Metropolitano

Atletico Madrid’s 2025/26 campaign got off to a rocky start. After another summer of changes coming and going, Simeone’s men have collected just two points from their opening three league games against Espanyol, Elche and Alaves.

As always happened during his reign, Cholo’s critics began to sharpen their knives. Mistakes were seen across the pitch, with injuries to the likes of Alex Baena making it difficult for the Atleti manager to even lay the foundations for his new team.

However, after an underwhelming August, Atletico have quickly settled into their groove, on home soil at least. After that opening draw against newly promoted Elche, they have won 11 games in a row in all competitions. That includes a 5-2 win in the Madrid derby, and a 2-1 win over Inter in the Champions League.

Home points in LaLiga since Atleti last won the title

Upon the departure of Vicente Calderon in 2017, many feared that Atletico Madrid would struggle to find the same home ground miles away in a modern stadium on the outskirts of the Spanish capital.

They didn’t need to worry. On many different levels, the field trip has been one of the most successful anywhere in Europe in recent times. The Estadio Metropolitano continues to produce a great atmosphere on match days, Atleti can beat anyone in front of their fans.

Since last winning LaLiga, Los Rojiblancos have collected 2.39 points per home game. A total of just five points separate the top three clubs in terms of their home record during that period.

Including their 2020/21 title campaign, Atletico Madrid have actually collected more home points than Real Madrid or Barcelona over a five-and-a-half-year stretch.

Slip-ups on the road are very common

Away from home, it’s been a very different story, with Atleti’s performance levels away from home and results again falling far short of the high standards they set at home.

Their average of just 1.3 points per away game this term is worse than the likes of Espanyol and Celta Vigo, and the main reason why they no longer look like genuine title contenders.

The underlying data makes for an even worse read for Simeone, and reveals deeper problems with the way he has pitched his team away from home. Atleti have a xG difference of -3.8 on their travels in LaLiga 2025/26. That’s only the 13th best record.

An average of just 1.0 xG per 90 minutes away, compared to 2.3 xG per game at home, further highlights their creative problems whenever they leave Madrid.

LaLiga points since Atleti last won the title

“Home teams are brave; it happens to almost everyone, it happens to many teams,” said Simeone following the 1-0 defeat at San Mames last month.

On some levels, you have a point, but Atletico Madrid have been unfairly affected in recent years, at least when compared to Real Madrid and Barcelona. Since winning LaLiga almost five years ago, Atleti have collected 41 points less than Los Blancos, and 46 less than Barca, in the same number of games.

That means nearly 10 road points per season against their rivals, the kind of distance they can afford to give up and expect to stay in title contention.

Alvarez’s away-day blues include difficulty

Atletico Madrid’s problems are perhaps best summed up by the situation of their star player Julian Alvarez.

Few would argue that Argentina’s capture of 75 million euros was not a success. The former Man City man enjoyed a strong first season in Spain, and has single-handedly led his side to victory on numerous occasions since moving to the Estadio Metropolitano in 2024.

At 25 years of age, he is heading into his prime as a footballer, and Atleti could face a battle to land the striker amid reported interest from Barcelona. Despite all that, Alvarez embodies the very issues that continue to hold this side back.

Following a brilliant free-kick at the RCDE Stadium on matchday one, Alvarez failed to score at home in LaLiga. Nine of his 10 goals in all competitions since then have come at the Metropolitano. The 2022 World Cup winner has scored on just one of 16 shots away from home since that trip to Espanyol, which ended in a late defeat.

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact reasons why Alvarez and Atletico Madrid are able to perform so well at home, yet fail so often on the road. A 3-0 win away to promotion-winning Girona in December was a step in the right direction, but it was quickly followed by a poor first-half performance at the Reale Arena in their next game.

Having conceded so many away points, any change will come too late to salvage their 2025/26 league season. However, this is clearly a long-term issue, and it is a conundrum that Simeone will need to solve if Atleti are to win another title under his leadership.

Mark is a freelance football writer based in Madrid, and editor of LaLigaExpert.com. He has been linking LaLiga and European football since 2014.