“Atletico Madrid risks everything in the Champions: Will they be able to win?”

Atletico Madrid is putting everything at risk in the Champions League: Could this strategy pay off?

Atletico Madrid’s season has turned into a true rollercoaster of expectations and disappointments. What began as a campaign with several possibilities for success now seems to boil down to a single objective: to win the UEFA Champions League. A mission that many consider to be beyond the capabilities of the Madrid club.

In the last eight matches, Atletico has managed just one victory, precisely against the giant Barcelona, in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. This win was a glimmer of hope, but not enough to dispel the doubts surrounding the team.

After eliminating Barcelona, Atletico dreamed of achieving a historic double. The next challenge was the Copa del Rey final, where they would face Real Sociedad, who came in as the clear underdog. However, in an intense and nerve-wracking game, it was Real Sociedad who surprised everyone, clinching the trophy on penalties and leaving Atletico in an even more precarious situation.

To exacerbate the crisis, Atlético is completely out of the race for the La Liga title, making the Champions League the only chance to salvage a season that has been crumbling. The next hurdle is the powerful Arsenal team, a true English colossus that promises to make the Spaniards’ journey as difficult as possible.

This scenario raises a crucial question: will Atlético Madrid’s decision to sacrifice national championship games to go all-in on the Champions League ultimately backfire? If they fail to overcome Arsenal and reach the Champions final, this strategy could cost them dearly, leaving the team without any trophy to celebrate.

Juan Pereira Casanoba, a freelance journalist for The Sporting News, a football specialist and a fervent Everton supporter, highlights the importance of this decisive phase for Atlético and the high risk the club is taking by concentrating all its efforts on a single competition. The analysis is clear: either Atlético Madrid overcomes Arsenal and secures a place in the Champions League final, or this season could be marked as yet another missed opportunity for a club that has become accustomed to fighting for titles but is now facing a crisis of identity and results.

This article first appeared on Apito Final.