The five great news of Atlético in the return to LaLiga

Atlético has returned to competition after the break due to the coronavirus health crisis in top form. In four games, three of them as visitors, has added 10 of 12 possible points and has climbed to the third position with a mattress on the fifth after reaching sixth place in March. These are several of the reasons for Atlético's good shape:

Ambition

The rojiblanco team has returned with great desire, without wanting to leave the objective of entering the Champions League for the end. If he hadn't had any league away wins in all of 2020, in San Mamés he narrowly escaped (1-1), but in Sadar came with a win (0-5) and in La Nucia with a tighter result than what was shown in the game (0-1 victory against Levante), maintaining the level at home with victory against Valladolid. In these games, Atlético has been more determined to go for the game from the first minute, without missing the first half as usual at the beginning of the course (favored by a greater number of substitutions) and without kicking back excessively after going ahead on the scoreboard, another of the team's great ills at a certain period of the season. Now, Simeone's men go out to send the ball, look at the rival goal and look for the second goal once the first one arrives, sometimes with more success, as against Osasuna and others failing in the punch, like against Levante, but without stopping trying and without allowing the rival to peek into the Oblak goal with ease. Against Athletic there were five shots (two on goal), eight against Osasuna (six on goal), 12 against Valladolid (four to finish) and 10 against Levante (seven to Aitor's goal).

Solidity

Atlético has recovered its ability to zero, with a single goal against in four games, in the first against Athletic. Since then 270 minutes have passed, plus the 55 finals of San Mamés (a total of 325 consecutive minutes), without Oblak receiving any goals. The Slovenian has left some of his usual interventions, such as a paradox to Yeray and another to Waldo, but he has not had to appear regularly to maintain that security in the Fight to end up fighting the Zamora. Against Levante, he did not receive a shot at goal and has seen how his defense is strengthened with a great Giménez and without noticing the constant rotations in all positions. In total Oblak has conceded 22 goals in 31 games (0.7 per game), but wants to end up fighting for the goalkeeper award with the best ratio to Courtois.

Own names

One of the great news of the team has been the step in front of players compared to before the break. The main one, that of Marcos Llorente, new benchmark in the rojiblanca forward completely adapted to the position in which it premiered in San Mamés. Just before the break he had left a brilliant double at Anfield to eliminate Liverpool and Simeone has managed to exploit that mordant. Starting in three games, he has contributed in all of them, with a goal and two assists in which he was a substitute against Osasuna. Also against Levante he gave the goal pass that ended up being his own, but fully generated by '14'. But in addition to Llorente, other players have returned at their best level. Giménez leads the defense with an almost insurmountable level. Without Felipe, injured, the Uruguayan has returned in his best version after missing most of the start of the year due to various physical problems. In a state of optimal form, he is fast, immense from above and with judgment with the ball. Also Carrasco begins to look like the best version of the Belgian before leaving for China, increasingly entering Cholo's plans. Other footballers like Diego Costa, Lodi, Savic or Koke They have also returned very thin from the championship break. Also, João Félix has left great flashes, with a double against Osasuna.

David Aliaga / MB Media & nbsp; (Getty Images) '); return false; “class =” item-multimedia “>

Closet ground

The five changes have been a fantastic resource for Simeone. Four of the team's eight goals since the LaLiga restart have been scored by players off the bench. Against Osasuna they sentenced the match between Llorente, Morata and Carrasco and against Valladolid was Vitolo, fifth change, the player who gave Atlético all three points. Cholo is delighted with this new option and with the level offered by the players that until now had played a secondary role. The Argentine coach is rotating more than ever, and he knows that the players he uses to give rest to the first swords perform perfectly. This is how he is using Herrera, Arias, Hermoso, Manu Sánchez, Vitolo or Carrasco himself, until now always substitutes, with optimal performance.

Results

For many good feelings that the team is leaving in the end what marks the way are the results. And these are being fantastic, not only for the 10 points out of 12 achieved, also because of how bad the rivals for the Champions League have become. In this period Atlético He has taken four points from Sevilla, nine from Real Sociedad and seven from Getafe to be in third place alone with six points of advantage over the fifth place. Finishing in Champions positions is essential for the economic viability of the club and so far Atlético has taken a giant step to achieve this. If he stopped sixth, in just four days he has grabbed third place with solvency. All confidence tastes better if it is accompanied by points.