Barcelona, ​​Real Madrid and Atlético, the three big teams in the three best tournaments

The excitement of the League, with 13 games still to be played, is added from today to the interest in the semi-finals of the Cup, while waiting for the exciting round of 16 of the European tournaments to begin next week with up to six Spanish teams out of the seven entered after the elimination of Girona alone. The rivalry extends to the different tournaments in a final stretch of the season that presents a football offer worthy of competing with the best Premier, the Bundesliga or Calcio , especially due to the prominence of Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético, the three big teams in the three best tournaments, as well as the excellent performance of Athletic, Real Sociedad and Betis. We cannot remember a series of matches as attractive as the one that is coming up in three weeks from Barcelona-Atlético (21.30, La 1 and TV-3) and tomorrow with Real Sociedad-Real Madrid.

Madrid's presence is not surprising if you take into account that they are the champions of La Liga and the Champions League and have also been reinforced by Mbappé. Although Ancelotti has had a hard time getting the line-up right, his team is just in time for the title challenge, in the same way that Atlético knew how to find their way in a Cup match played on 31 October in Vic when Simeone's continuity was being discussed. The red-and-whites regained their confidence and confirmed that their squad is one of the richest in recent times after signings such as Julián Alvarez, the commitment to Pablo Barrios and the leadership of Griezmann. The surprise is perhaps the excellent response from Barça. The debutant Flick, winner of the Super Cup, has managed to put the team in a position to win the different tournaments with the same players who last year were left 0-0.

Atlético was the last team to beat Barcelona. That 2-1 loss in added time with a goal from Sorloth , the third consecutive league defeat at Montjuïc, propelled the Blaugrana, who have since drawn two and won 11, the last in Gran Canaria. Barça and Atlético will meet again three times: twice in the Cup —today at the Olympic stadium and on April 2 in Madrid— and on March 15 or 16 in the League —Metropolitano—. The demand will be maximum for Atlético because in between —on the 4th and the 12th— they will face Madrid in the Champions League and next Saturday they will host Athletic in the League, which has 16 games without losing and is five points behind Simeone's team and six behind Madrid and Barça. The fourth semi-finalist in the Cup is not Valverde's team, the current champion, but Real.

The San Sebastian side , eliminated last season by Mallorca on penalties, are very consistent in the Cup after reaching the semi-finals for the third time in the last six seasons under Imanol. La Real, winners of the tournament on three occasions (1908, 1987 and 2020), the last against Athletic, are one point away from the European places in La Liga as they await to face Manchester United in the Europa League. The last five consecutive victories at their stadium support them against a Madrid that has 20 titles to Barça's 31. The king of the competition is awaiting the recovery of Lamine Yamal, injured in the left foot, to receive an Atlético without Koke or Azpilicueta and, instead, already with Pablo Barrios. "We are excited, eager to compete and focused on facing each game in the best way," added Simeone.

Flick , who turned 60 yesterday, responded with praise for Atlético – “it’s a great team, it has the best defenders, attackers… it has invested” – and his own team: “What I like most is the unity: we are just one, almost like a family and everyone knows what they have to do. The mentality is great and the atmosphere is also what I like,” he added, before expressing “surprises at the things that happen in Spain and at the club” when asked about the provisional registration with which Olmo competes. The international midfielder’s goal against UD Las Palmas was decisive for Barça to maintain the lead in La Liga with the same points as Madrid and one more than Atlético. The three big teams had not won their respective league matches at the same time since matchday 12, which was later completed with Madrid’s victory at Mestalla.

Barça, Madrid and Atlético do not avoid each other, but rather seek each other out in the various tournaments, always with Athletic and Real in the mix, in a season that could end with a fifth Spanish team qualifying for the Champions League.