The ball rolls towards the halfway line and Arda Turan picks it up on the right flank. He fends off Fabio Coentrao and drifts inside. Seeing space behind Real Madrid’s central defenders, the Turkey international tries an audacious chip but the rebound only goes as far as Koke, who is subsequently surrounded.
He wasn’t trapped for long; with Alvaro Arbeloa looking to close down all options, the young midfielder nudged a pass into the path of Diego Costa, who nonchalantly slipped behind the enemy’s defence and stormed towards goal, slotting a low shot with finesse past a helpless Diego Lopez. The composed finish itself was merely a sign of things to come.
The result, a 1-0 victory over their arch-rivals, was a key moment in an incredible 2013/14 title race, which was sparked into life by Atletico’s star striker of the time, Costa.
Only four months earlier did a rampaging Atletico Madrid secure the Copa Del Rey when Radamel Falcao and his hotheaded teammate emphatically combined at the Santiago Bernabeu to end a 14-year long hoodoo in El Derbi Madrileño.
The Colombian’s departure that summer certainly raised a few question marks over who would step up to fill the void, and yet it was Atletico’s prodigal son, Costa, who produced the goods, scoring 27 of the side’s 77 La Liga goals in just 35 appearances.
The season would end with the club’s fans partying like 1996, the last time they had claimed the league title. It had taken them 18 years, but that barely mattered.
