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On-loan Chelsea star Thibaut Courtois has excelled for Atletico this season. AP/Press Association Images
HEAVY LIFTERS

5 key players in Atletico Madrid's title-winning season

The Spanish side clinched their 10th La Liga title, and first for 18 years, on Saturday.

ATLETICO MADRID CLINCHED their 10th La Liga title, and first for 18 years, on Saturday as they held Barcelona 1-1 at the Camp Nou.

Having become the first team outside of Barca and Real Madrid to win La Liga in 10 years, here AFP sports looks at they key players who led Los Rojiblancos to the title:

Thibaut Courtois (BEL/goalkeeper)

The base of Atletico’s incredible turnaround in fortunes under Diego Simeone has been built on a solid defence and that starts with the on-loan Chelsea ‘keeper in goal.

Courtois has spent the last three seasons in the Spanish capital and has improved every year to become one of the world’s best goalkeepers at just 22 years of age.

The Belgian number one has kept 28 clean sheets in all competitions this season and saved his side on countless occasions with stunning saves.

Arguably his importance to the side was most obviously seen in the only league game he missed all season when Atletico slumped to a 2-0 defeat away to lowly Almeria due to two goalkeeping errors from Daniel Aranzubia.

Koke (ESP/midfielder)

A product of the Atletico youth academy, the 22-year-old has had a stellar season which has seen him become not just a regular in Simeone’s setup but also in the Spanish national team.

On top of being Atletico’s top creator of goals with 18 assists this season, he has also shown an eye for important goals amongst his tally of seven for the season.

He scored the winner in vital away wins at Real Sociedad, Malaga and Athletic Bilbao as well as scoring at home to Real Madrid in the 2-2 draw at the Vicente Calderon in Match and the vital goal as Atletico eliminated Barcelona from the Champions League.

Diego Costa (ESP/centre-forward)

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The side’s top scorer and talisman with 36 goals in all competitions, Costa have proved an unlikely hero in the absence of the departed Radamel Falcao.

Although he has been contracted to Atletico since 2007, Costa has only been handed a consistent run in the side by Simeone over the past two seasons after being farmed out on loan four times.

Costa’s energetic style has been symbolic of Atletico as a whole as he has not just provided goals but led the line to great effect and proved lethal on the counter-attack.

Diego Godin (URU/centre-back)

One of the unsung heroes of Atletico’s success, the 28-year-old Uruguayan has struck up a great partnership with Miranda at the heart of the Europe’s tightest defence.

One of many players that were seen as underachieving prior to Simeone’s arrival at the club, Godin has been transformed under Simeone and not only defended with great authority but also popped up with some vital goals including the one that sealed the title at the Camp Nou.

Filipe Luis (BRA/left-back)

Just like Miranda, Filipe Luis can count himself incredibly unfortunate not to be representing his country on home soil at the World Cup next month after another exceptional season.

Just as important an outlet going forward from left-back as he is defensively, Luis has proved particularly important in the big games against Real Madrid and Barcelona as he snuffed out the threat posed by the nearly 200 million euro duo of Gareth Bale and Neymar.

- © AFP, 2014

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