There is now very much a big three in Spain rather than a big two after Atletico Madrid's incredible rise over the last couple of seasons.

It is widely accepted that Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico will finish one, two and three (not necessarily in that order) in La Liga this season, but what about the final Champions League position?

Athletic Bilbao finished fourth last term, but have struggled to find their best form in the new campaign and currently sit down in ninth position.

Here, Sports Mole has taken a look at the leading contenders for fourth position in Spain's top flight.

Sevilla

Current position – 4th
Last season – 5th

A terrific end to the 2013-14 campaign almost brought fourth for Unai Emery's side, but they lost a vital match at Bilbao towards the end of the season, which allowed the Basque outfit to finish in the final Champions League position.

This season, however, Sevilla are currently in charge of fourth spot. Last season's Europa League winners lost their skipper and best player Ivan Rakitic to Barcelona in the summer, in addition to a number of key players, but have been impressive in the early part of the campaign. They have won eight of their 13 league games this season, drawing twice and losing just three times in the process – all away from home.

Colombian forward Carlos Bacca has continued his excellent form from last season, netting seven times in 10 league games, while summer midfield arrivals Grzegorz Krychowiak and Ever Banega have also both been impressive.

Emery's side have conceded 17 times in the league this season, keeping just three clean sheets in the process, which will be a slight concern. They have scored 24 times, however, which is in keeping with their position in the league. Despite losing Rakitic in the summer, they are arguably better equipped to finish in the top four this season.

Valencia

Current position – 5th
Last season – 8th

There is no question that it has been a frustrating few years for Los Che, who failed to secure European football of any kind last season after finishing eighth. The six-time La Liga winners are threatening to return to former glories, however, with their supporters having every reason to be excited about the future.

It took longer than expected for Singaporean businessman Peter Lim to officially complete his takeover of the club, but that has now been sanctioned and matters on the field have also improved. Nuno's side conceded late on to lose against Barcelona last weekend, but they are still very much in the hunt for fourth, with 24 points from their 13 matches leaving them in fifth position.

As expected, their form at the Mestalla has been strong, with five wins, one draw and just one defeat, while they have picked up eight points on the road. Their summer recruits – particularly Nicolas Otamendi, Andre Gomes and Rodrigo have impressed, while it has been a strong start to the season for new Spanish international Paco Alcacer.

Alvaro Negredo, who is on loan from Manchester City, is still yet to fire as he continues his comeback from injury, but there is little doubting that the Spaniard will eventually find his shooting boots. Money is expected to be available to strengthen the squad is January and there is no question that Valencia have the stature to attract top players.

Villarreal

Current position – 7th
Last season – 6th

On their return to La Liga last season, Villarreal finished sixth in the table and gained a host of admirers with their entertaining brand of football. It had been questioned whether the Yellow Submarine could maintain that challenge this season, but it is 13 games in and they currently sit seventh, five points off the top four.

Villarreal's early push for the top four has been built on strong away form, rather than their results at El Madrigal, where they have already lost three times. On the road, they have lost just one of their seven matches, picking up an impressive 12 points in the process. That is in contrast to their fellow top-four challengers Sevilla and Valencia, who have both been strong at home.

The Yellow Submarine managed to repel summer interest in their key players, while they made clever signings in the shape of Luciano Vietto and Sergio Asenjo – who had been on loan from Atletico Madrid. The likes of Bruno Soriano, Cani and Mateo Musacchio were retained – players that were at the forefront of their challenge last season.

Giovani dos Santos has yet to find top form this season, but goals are guaranteed from Ikechukwu Uche, who has hit double figures in each of his last two seasons. Villarreal are slightly behind Sevilla and Valencia in the goals scored column, having only netted 19 times, while they do not have the biggest of squads. Whether they can usurp their main rivals for the Champions League might depend on how fortunate they are with injuries.

The outsiders

While Sevilla, Valencia and Villarreal are seen as the three frontrunners at this stage, there are a clutch of other teams that could make a challenge. In sixth, remarkably, sit Malaga, who have had a surprisingly strong start to the season, but it remains to be seen whether the former Champions League quarter-finalists can maintain their challenge when the fixtures really begin to pile up.

Celta Vigo are also going strong in eighth and have players in the shape of Charles, Nolito and Joaquin Larrivey that could lead a challenge for fourth. Again, however, their squad is far from the biggest in the league and one that might struggle to continue a challenge if injuries hit in the second part of the season.

Outside of Malaga and Celta are the two teams that have finished fourth in the last two seasons. Bilbao currently sit ninth in the table having already lost six times, and they are really struggling to find their best form. The loss of Ander Herrera to Manchester United in the summer has hurt them and they have found it difficult to balance Champions League football with their league commitments.

Then there is Real Sociedad, now under the leadership of a certain David Moyes. The Basque outfit have flirted with the relegation zone this season, but have taken seven points from their last three in the league to move into 14th. That said, despite the quality of their squad, they are already 13 points off the top four and a challenge seems unlikely. Had Moyes entered in the summer, who knows?