Lille, Atletico Madrid seal title on dramatic final day

There was plenty of drama and action on the final day of the season in Spain and France that saw Atletico Madrid and Lille respectively win their first domestic title in nearly a decade. The title races in both countries went down to the very last day of the season with Lille and Atletico able to hold on to their lead and win a rare league title against all odds.

Christophe Galtier’s side have topped the Ligue 1 table for the majority of the second half of the campaign but with PSG hot on their tales, the title race was still undecided until the final fixture. Lille required all three points away to Angers SCO while PSG needed to better Lille’s result to win their fourth consecutive Ligue 1. It was relatively plain sailing for both teams against weaker opposition and while PSG took care of their job with a 2-0 victory at Brest, Lille sealed their first domestic title since 2011 with a comfortable 2-1 victory against Angers.

This victory is one of the greatest underdog stories in modern football with Lille assembling an incredibly talented squad with a fraction of the budget compared to their competitors. Lille boast the tightest defence in the country – conceding only 23 goals in 38 matches – and it was this defensive solidity that won them the title.

Over in Spain, there was plenty more drama and heartache for the supporters on the final day. Only 2 points separated both Madrid clubs heading into the last round of fixtures with Diego Simeone’s side needing the win to secure their first La Liga title since 2014. Following a dramatic comeback in the final minutes in their penultimate fixture against Osasuna, Atletico found themselves having to do it all over again after going 1-0 down against relegation contenders Real Valladolid on the final day.

 Fortunately for Simeone and Atletico, they were still on course for victory at half-time with Real also faltering against Villareal. Having battled all year for this elusive title, Atletico showed one last bit of courage in the second half and equalised just before the hour mark through Angel Correa. 10 minutes later, Luis Suarez – the man they poached from Barcelona in the summer – thumped in the winning goal that won Atletico the title. 

The Uruguayan striker eventually proved to be the difference this season with his 21 goals playing a crucial role throughout the season along with stellar performances from the likes of Trippier, Koke and Marcos Llorente.