The step back that Atlético has taken from last season to this one is due to a multitude of factors. Among the quantifiable the drop in figures that Marcos Llorente has given. The most decisive midfielder of the last League, one of the great stars of the season, has passed of the 13 goals he scored in 20-21 to not have been released yet in this. And of the twelve assists he served he has dropped to three.
The reasons are also varied, although the most obvious is that, due to the demands of the script, he no longer steps on the area as much as before. The contrast of the data is enormous. In this season he has 17 shots, only 8 from inside the area and just 3 on goal (Athletic, Porto and Osasuna). In the previous one, that of his confirmation after the post-confinement explosion, he made 60 shots, 25 of them on goal and 32 from inside the area. The 14 was a constant threat, with a great rapport with Trippier and complete confidence. Now, not only is the British not on the side, but Llorente has to exercise that role too often.
An uninspired second line
The slump, in reality, is not just Llorente’s fault either. These figures would be more concealed if, since the versatile player now has other missions, a teammate had taken over from him facing goal. However, as he remembers athletic stats, Not even putting together all the Atletico midfielders are they capable of overcoming Llorente’s loot in the last season. Between Carrasco (5), Lemar (4), De Paul (2), Koke (1), Kondogbia (1), Herrera (0) and Llorente himself match the 13 that the international achieved.
Llorente’s goal is one of the small challenges of this final stretch of the League within the great goal of finishing in the top four to go to the next Champions League. In Bilbao, to begin with, Marcos will return to the side. From there it will hit the right lane, as it has done in every game, but it will be difficult to end the drought.