MADRID, 20 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Atlético de Madrid will face FC Barcelona next Saturday (4:15 p.m.), at the Spotify Camp Nou, in a momentous match for the colchoneros if they want to prolong their state of joy and continue to push for second place in the home.
The team of ‘Cholo’ Simeone is another since the return of the World Cup. The rojiblancos have left behind the bad feelings at the start of the season, which made them leave for the Qatar event in fourth place, 11 points behind Real Madrid and 13 behind FC Barcelona, distances that have been reduced in the case of the whites to 2 points and maintained, in the case of the Catalans, after the 15 post-World Cup days.
The figures are very significant, since in the first 14 league games, the ‘Cholo’ team scored 24 points, an average of 1.7 points per game, compared to 36 in the 15 days since the competition resumed. , or what is the same 2.4 points per game.
The most significant change that the mattress team has experienced has taken place in the defensive field. Simeone’s pupils have conceded only 7 goals after the World Cup, leaving their clean sheet 8 times. Before Qatar 2022, they had conceded twice as many goals (14) in one less day, without conceding a goal in only four games.
In addition, individually, their defensive line has improved remarkably by conceding only 35 shots between the three sticks, the second best team in LaLiga in this section, only surpassed by the leader FC Barcelona.
The team’s improvement in attack has a first and last name: Antoine Griezmann. The ‘Little Prince’ has recovered his best level adapted to his new role as ‘8’, with much more presence in the construction of the play. The Frenchman has gone from intervening an average of 42 times with the ball per game to 64; and this has made him the LaLiga player who has participated in the most goals with 11 (6 goals and 5 assists) after the World Cup.
The best version of Griezmann has improved an Atlético that now generates 3.1 clear chances per game, compared to the 2.3 prior to the World Cup. In scoring terms, the colchoneros score 1.7 goals per game in the last 15 days, compared to 1.5 in the first 14 games. Regarding the participation in goals, the 26 goals scored after Qatar have been distributed by 11 players, for the 8 that did so in the 21 goals scored in the first 14 games.
Furthermore, if we only take into account the last 10 days of league competition played, Atlético is the fittest team in the five major European leagues. The rojiblancos would lead this particular classification with 26 points, one more than Manchester City and 3 more than Arsenal, Barça, Dortmund and Lazio. Data that invites optimism ahead of the Camp Nou event, a scenario where they have not won since 2006.