Atlético recovers the possession attack with Herrera in command

EI Atlético has recovered its best face in recent matches and the forcefulness it had shown in the fantastic start to the season that settled it in the lead. Many more scoring chances generated with an advantage for the forwards and quite placid matches for Oblak, who practically did not have to intervene against Eibar and against Huesca left a good hand in the first play of the game and another in injury time, calmly due to the few arrivals in the rest of the duel.

And all this from a football elaborated and driven from possession. Something that had been lost and that is back with the main name of Héctor Herrera as the engine of this new conversion. The Mexican played a fundamental role in the beginning of the course, but between injuries and the coronavirus it barely added eight minutes in the year 2021 until Simeone returned him to ownership against Betis. Herrera played 64 minutes at Benito Villamarín, in which he completed 45 passes of the 50 he tried (90% correct), the second most of the team, and added struggle, winning 63.4% of the eleven body duels. Although Betis is a team that bases its game on the ball and usually far surpasses Atlético in that aspect, the match was highly contested (the rojiblancos had 45.7% of the ball).

Against Eibar, Herrera kept his hole in the pivot, starting the plays from behind and becoming an exit from below for the centrals. Atlético won 5-0, had 61.1% of possession and the Mexican finished the game with 75 passes completed (91.5% correct), the assistance of the first goal, a key pass in the second and seven recoveries, the most of the team. By last, Atlético won against Huesca with 52.8% of the ball and Herrera again generating football with 81 shipments (the most in the game and with 91% accuracy) and five recoveries.

With Herrera, Koke is free to approach the attack lines and Saúl is not forced to go down to receive and get the ball with many difficulties, appearing more and more in the rival area in one of his best qualities. The two rojiblancos homegrown players are favored by their presence, which provides pause, placement and security with the ball and they come into play in more favorable positions and with constant short help (Koke ​​made 73 passes against Huesca with 94.8% success and Saúl 64 with 92.8%). Thus, the rojiblanco center of the field has returned to manage the games, to send from the ball and not allow concessions behind. San Mamés will be a litmus test for the evolution of the mattress fortress in the middle.