Atlético is experiencing a very negative February that has complicated their passage to the quarterfinals of the Champions League and also their advantage in the League. The team has played five games and won one, against Granada. They tied two (Celta and Levante) and lost another two, both at home (Levante and Chelsea). And Madrid and Barça are getting closer.
In these five games, Atlético has scored only five goals and conceded seven, something that has penalized a lot. A problem not only of numbers, but also generates doubts in the team, because it is not normal that it fits so much.
Simeone's team visits this Sunday Villarreal (21:00) and then he has the derby against him Real Madrid (Sunday, March 7, 4:15 p.m.). They are two decisive days. And for March 10 it remains Athletic, the game that has been postponed. It is an extra ball.
Why is the team not so reliable and decisive? From the inside it was known that keeping up with the points would be very difficult, but it is that has lost as many points in these last four days as in the 19 of the first round. Many things have coincided, especially absences that have affected the overall performance, the system, the possible rotations and the depth of the bench. There are causes and there are also reasons to hope that what is coming will be better than this dark gray month.
Injuries … and COVID
The team has been accumulating you get off all the lines, and in some positions they have caused special damage. Muscle ailments have been coupled with a number of coronavirus infections from which the team has not yet fully emerged. Herrera still low and in recent weeks they fell (and recovered) Dembélé, Lemar, João Félix, Hermoso and Carrasco. Plus the punishment to Trippier, who has not played since January 12, coincidentally the last game in which the team did not concede. English will be one more on March 1 and it is essential because it is the best in its position and also allows to advance Llorente, to the one who does better with his passes. For the other lane, Carrasco will soon return.
Defensive fragility
Since Simeone arrived, Atlético's style is associated with strength and defensive security. Rival coaches have assumed for years that if the rojiblancos go ahead, the game becomes almost impossible. But in recent weeks it has not. In Bucharest it was a Chilean, against Levante a shot that bounced off two defenses, against Granada there was also a deflected shot … Strange plays, sometimes due to lack of force to clear, others due to bad luck. But what they cost points and they affect mentally. Against Chelsea, Cholo wanted to leave a clean sheet more than ever and, aware of the difficulties of previous meetings, he shielded the team to the maximum. Felipe has lost confidence, although within the area he is toning down, and Giménez is once again hampered by physical problems. The team needs the four center-backs firm and more firm on the whole.
Back with the system
This point is surely marked by the previous two. Even so, Simeone clings to the scheme of three centers and two lanes and it does not deviate even if Carrasco, Trippier and Hermoso are missing, pieces that make that 3-5-2 good. But the reality is that With the games going, he is not always convinced and moves the pieces frequently. Defense of three or four, double pivot or three in the middle … The versatility of players like Llorente, Carrasco, Saúl, Lemar, etc. allows you to make those changes.
Shortages on the bench
The accumulation of casualties, beyond the obvious difficulties to build an eleven, causes problems on the bench. The entire Atleti squad allows games to be changed with the entry of substitutes. Against Granada and Celta he only made one substitution. In Bucharest I had few options of attack, although Dembélé, who has not had more than two little moments, pleased Simeone, who promises that he will have opportunities. With everyone ready, Cholo can find a bank with Herrera, Saúl, Correa, Lodi, Dembélé, Torreira …
Suárez, on hiatus and João Félix, disconnected
Luis Suárez, from all to nothing. The Uruguayan took a spectacular streak that put him top scorer and has run dry. In the last four games he has not seen a goal, when in the previous four he had scored seven goals. In principle it is not a serious problem. Against Chelsea he was unassisted and against Levante he had no luck although he played well. In January he changed draws for wins with decisive goals and now that is missed. The goals will return. More worrying is the lack of goals from João, who has only scored one in the last ten games. But it is also expected to return to the lofty version of October and November. He is listless.