João Félix and Koke, the great favored of the new style

Atlético has shown its most offensive version at the start of the season. Simeone has adapted to his new pieces in attack, with the great objective of supply balls to Luis Suárez close to the rival area, where it is more decisive, and has bet on two very vertical band players (mainly between Llorente, Correa and Carrasco), João Félix with freedom of movement behind Suárez, Y with Koke and Herrera leading the team from midfield.

A Style Change that has been reflected in the data: Atlético has outnumbered the rival in possession in six of the ten games played, has finished more than the opponent in eight out of ten and adds 21 goals in favor and nine against. In League the numbers improve: 17 goals in seven games (2.4 per game) and only two against. A more offensive football that has empowered practically all the players in the squad, with a great version of Llorente, from Correa, the entrance of Suárez with five goals in his first six league appearances for rojiblanco, Savic imperial back, Herrera growing strong in the middle … but if there are two capital players who stand out above the rest they are Koke and João Félix.

The captain is the engine of the team and the more he appears and comes into play, the better football Atlético will offer. Thomas's departure, coupled with Saul's injury, has led Simeone to continually place Koke on the double pivot. If years ago he had already tried it, he usually ended up tending to place the Vallecano on the left wing. But in the middle he has given the team fluidity, last pass, vision and a lot of speed without suffering in defense.

A brilliance of Koke that Luis Enrique has taken note of, which placed him as starter in the key match against Germany where the rojiblanco left an exhibition. So far in the League, the captain has participated in all Atlético matches, in six of them as a starter and taking a break in the first 75 minutes of the match against Huesca, where the team noted his absence (0-0) . He has completed 362 good passes, an average of 64.6 per 90 minutes, with a success rate of 89.38% in their deliveries. Now he touches the ball 88 times per game.

Going to the data from last season, Koke completed 1,402 passes, an average of 46.5 per 90 minutes, with a success rate of 85.23%, touching the ball 71 times per game. That is, the captain, who grows a lot with the ball, now he gives almost 20 more passes per game, he comes into play much more and has improved his percentage despite making key passes, breaking lines and favoring the chances of his teammates.

The explosion of João Félix

If Koke is showing his best side, João Félix has exploded at the start of the season. He has become the leader of the rojiblanco attack, something that he already began to show at the end of last year with his entry against Leipzig and has found regularity in his game, with a position of second striker moved to his maximum comfort zone, with freedom to throw himself slightly to the left and with his teammates looking for him insistently. Thus has achieved five goals in the first seven league games, one every 97 minutes, when last season he finished the competition with six goals in 36 appearances (one every 291 minutes).

Regarding his influence on the game, João Félix now averages 36 passes per 90 minutes, with an 83.4% success rate despite always looking for the last pass and being decisive in front of goal. In its new version win 50% of duels with rivals, thanks to the fact that they are no longer so pumped balls and has managed 16 successful dribbles. At this beginning of the course gives 62 touches per game to the ball, an influence much greater than a year ago. In his first rojiblanco campaign, it was difficult for him to find that regularity in the game, leaving great sparkles, but in a trickle.

In that 2019-20 academic year, João Félix gave 20.4 passes per game, almost half that now, with a 78.85% accuracy. The Portuguese touched the ball 41.8 times per 90 minutes, won 37.12% of the duels and completed 20 dribbles, so It's only four to match it when we only have seven games. Simeone has managed to empower two fundamental players through the ball, that grow the more possession the team has. Koke and João Félix are shining with their own light and are two of the keys for Atlético to have achieved such good results. If the rojiblanco team wants to fight for titles, they will need to continue promoting two footballers who are part of the backbone of Simeone's scheme and that they are part of the present, in the case of the captain of the past and the Portuguese of the long-term future of Atlético.