The easiest Atlético to beat

Atlético is more fragile than ever. And not because he is allowing the rival to reach him a lot in the matches, indeed, it is the opposite. The bad rojiblanco goes through the little forcefulness that it shows every time they approach its area, a whole sifter with improper errors that are causing the points to escape in droves. The two last, in the discount of the match against Valencia that seemed dominated with 1-3 at the beginning of the seven minutes of added time and that ended in a tie for Hugo Duro’s double.

Since the previous international break, Atlético’s problems behind have multiplied, conceding seven goals in four league games and five in the two Champions League games against Liverpool. Only against Betis could he keep a clean sheet, a sign that had become common in the Simeone era. And despite the fact that Cholo is betting on increasingly offensive eleven and a trident above, The problems behind are not due to the number of occasions that the rival generates, but rather to its clarity.

Penalties, defensive oversights, poorly covered lateral crosses or even Oblak errors, something to which we are so little accustomed, causes that Atlético had the worst scoring start against the Simeone era, with 13 goals conceded in 12 games. Figures that become much more painful if one takes into account that Atlético is the LaLiga team that allows the fewest shots on goal, only 26. An average that indicates that Oblak concedes a goal in one of every two shots received, although the goalkeeper himself suffered an own goal against Getafe after the ball had touched the post and Savic did the same at Mestalla after a stop by the Slovenian.

Atlético has received nine fewer shots on goal than Sevilla, Athletic and Villarreal, the first pursuers with 35 kicks allowedbut these clubs have fit seven, eight and twelve goals respectively. Although it seems incredible, the Opta data indicates that Oblak is the goalkeeper who has to be shot the least to score, while for example Granada has received 16 goals in 70 shots (one every 4.37) or Espanyol 13 in 60 shots (one every 4.6). Figures that Oblak himself improved last season, where he raised his fifth prize Zamora with 25 goals conceded in 122 shots on goal (one every 4.88 shots). In that historic 2020-21 campaign, Atlético was the team that conceded the fewest goals despite receiving more shots on goal than Real Sociedad (108), Athletic (113), Getafe (114) and Real Madrid (118).

Analyzing more deeply the goals received, of the 13 goals scored by Atlético against three have been penalties (Aspas and Bardhi twice), one of direct foul (Isaac), two in own goal (Oblak against Getafe and Savic against Valencia), three with set pieces headers (Laguardia, De Tomás and Hugo Duro), three caused by turnovers and poor defensive withdrawal (Danjuma after the failure between Savic and Giménez; Sorloth taking advantage of the loss of João Félix and the bad withdrawal of the centrals and Oblak and Hugo Duro after a loss of Kondogbia and Gayà’s lateral center) and that of Trigueros from outside the area. Goals usually preceded by oversights, bad set pieces, silly penalties and incomprehensible mistakes at Atlético, something that Simeone knows he will have to correct if he wants to compete for titles. The rojiblanco team receives less than in previous seasons, but it fits and is weaker than ever.