It is almost a year since Argentine Diego Simeone took charge of Atletico Madrid with the club struggling in the bottom half of the La Liga table.
Since then, Simeone has guided the club to success in the European Super Cup and Europa League. Meanwhile, his side enter the winter break nine points ahead of capital rivals Real Madrid in the table.
Much of their success has been down to the form of Radamel Falcao, who has scored 20 goals in 16 games for the club this season. However, it has been their defensive solidarity that has also allowed them to prosper in the final third.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at how Atletico have fared in the opening half of the La Liga season as they enter 2013 as the top team in the Spanish capital.
August
Atletico were unable to spend big in the summer, but their best work in the transfer market was completed when they kept hold of Falcao despite a host of interest in the talented Colombian striker.
Their season got off to a decent start with a 1-1 draw away to Levante, before they picked up their first three points of the new campaign with a thumping 4-0 win over Athletic Bilbao one week later.
They then faced Chelsea in the European Super Cup and a hat-trick from Falcao secured the trophy in a stunning 4-1 win over the Champions League winners. There were some early signs that it could be a successful season for the modest club from the Spanish capital.
September
Their first match of the month did not arrive until the September 16 due to the international break. However, there were no signs of rustiness as they recorded a 4-3 home win over Rayo Vallecano. They also opened their Europa League campaign with a 3-0 away success over Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Their march into second spot in the La Liga table continued, meanwhile, as they ended the month with three straight wins over Real Valladolid, Real Betis and Espanyol. Falcao continued to be among the goals, but Arda Turan and Mario Suarez were also impressing with their confident midfield displays.
October
Atletico's winning run continued as they picked up a 1-0 win over Viktoria Plzen in their second Europa League group match. Victories also followed in the league against Malaga, Real Soicedad and Osasuna.
Simeone's side also made it three straight wins in the Europa League with a 2-1 win over Academica. The month ended with a 3-0 win over Real Jean in the Copa del Rey. Six fixtures across three different competitions in the month of October and they were victorious in all six.
November
Valencia finally ended Atletico's winning run at the beginning of the month. They had played 14 matches before travelling to the Mestalla, winning 13 and drawing one. However, they were brought back down to earth with a 2-0 defeat.
They also suffered disappointment in the Europa League as they were beaten 2-0 by Academica, although they were still in a strong position to qualify from the group. The month ended on a positive note, however, with league wins over Getafe, Granada and Sevilla.
Meanwhile, they were also victorious in the Europa League against Hapoel Tel Aviv and Real Jaen in the Copa del Rey as they booked their spot in the next round.
December
They travelled to rivals Real Madrid on the opening day of the month sitting above Jose Mourinho's side in the table. They were disappointing on the evening as they were defeated 2-0, but they remained the leading club in the Spanish capital.
Another defeat followed in the Europa League against Viktoria Plzen, but they had done enough to qualify and now face a double-header against Rubin Kazan in the knockout stages of the competition.
Falcao then hit five as Atletico thumped Deportivo La Coruna in Madrid, while they ensured a comprehensive first-leg over Getafe in the Copa del Rey with a 3-0 home success.
Barcelona followed at the Nou Camp, but despite taking the lead, they were outclassed in the second period and were beaten 4-1 by the Catalan outfit. However, they ensured that they would finish the year in second spot in the table with a 1-0 win over Celta Vigo on December 21.
Matt Law
