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August 24, 2014

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Enrique tips Atletico for La Liga title

BARCELONA coach Luis Enrique has said Atletico Madrid is the favorite to retain its La Liga title despite the millions spent by his side and Real Madrid in recent months.

Atletico showed its success was no one-season wonder as it claimed the first domestic trophy of the season in Spain with a 2-1 aggregate victory over Real to win the Spanish Super Cup on Friday.

“The favorite for the league is Atletico,” said Enrique, whose side gets its La Liga campaign under way at home to Elche today.

“It is not just out of respect for the defending champions. They continue with the same ideas from last season and they have perfected them despite changing players.

“I said last season I saw them as favorites for the league and the Champions League and they said it was a brave thing to say, but they are the clear favorites.

“Real Madrid are our eternal rivals and they have strengthened. It will be a very exciting championship. We have the desire having not won anything last season and no one will beat us for desire.”

On Friday, striker Mario Mandzukic’s early goal secured Atletico a 1-0 victory over Real and a 2-1 aggregate success to clinch the Spanish Super Cup and gain some revenge for last season’s Champions League final defeat.

Croatia striker Mandzukic, who joined Atletico in the close season from Bayern Munich, fired into the corner of the net from the edge of the area after two minutes and Atletico then played the best football, although there were chances at both ends.

It was a fiery game at the Calderon in which Atletico coach Diego Simeone was sent off in the first half for protesting and Real’s Luka Modric was dismissed in added time for a second yellow card.




 

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