Football

La Liga team performance: Atlético will want to attack the title, will Simeone’s spell continue?

Atlético Madrid have established themselves as a title contender in recent years, and they will win the title in 2021. But last year came a decline in performance and results and it was third place. How will it turn out this year?

Published

2 years ago

11. 8. 2022

David Beňo

The executive team

The coaching staff has long been Atlético Madrid’s strongest point. Since the arrival of Diego Simeone, he has always been the star, not the players. He can drive his charges crazy with his character, Atlético feels like a family, the players are willing to die on the pitch for Simeone. Last year there were voices that he had nothing more to give to the team, but the Argentine reached the quarter-finals of the LM and the voices died down.

Goalkeeper

In goal, Simeone has been taken care of for a couple of years now and has nothing to worry about. The number one is Slovenian Jan Oblak, one of the best goalkeepers in the world. The 29-year-old will start his ninth season at Atlético. He will be backed up by Ivo Grbic, returning from a loan spell, and young Antonio Gomis Aleman will be the number three.

Defence

Simeone has already switched to a three-defence system towards the end of last season, which he has been practising throughout his preparation. Stefan Savic, the team leader, seems to have a secure place among the three stoppers.

Axel Witsel, a summer signing from Borussia Dortmund, is also in contention for the starting line-up. José Maria Gimenez, Mario Hermoso or Reinildo Mandava could be the third to join the party.

Brazilian Renan Lodi and returnee from a loan spell at Chelsea Saul Ñíguez will compete for the left halfback spot. Although the latter is originally a centre-half, Simeone has been trying him out at left half-back throughout the preparation.

On the other side, new signing Nahuel Molina, who arrived from Udinese for €20 million, seems to have a secure place. The 24-year-old Argentine has featured in the starting line-up in all the last friendlies.

Backup

There is quite a glut in the positions of the two central midfielders. Simeone has the captain Koke, Rodrigo De Paulo, Geoffrey Kondogbia, possibly Saul Ñíguez, and Marcos Llorente is originally a centre-half, but he uses him more in attack.

This year, however, Llorente may be pulled more into the middle to free up space in attack, where Álvaro Morata has returned from Juventus.

Attack

As we have already mentioned, the position of the spike striker will probably belong to Morata. In the pair of strikers below him, João Felix and Antoine Griezmann, or Llorente, have featured in preparation.

But Atlético’s attacking power is great, with the reliable Ángel Correa, Yannick Carasco, Matheus Cunha and Thomas Lemar still ready on the bench.