It is costing Atlético get to cruising speed at the start of the season. He has not achieved consistency in his game and is having difficulty generating chances. If Suárez, Koke or Llorente work to find their best version, there are several footballers who have started with one more march than their peers.
Perhaps the most outstanding, due to its great step forward in what is going on this year compared to last season, is a Kondogbia that has earned a place in the rojiblanco eleven in its own right. Together with Correa, Carrasco and Lemar, who unfortunately was injured against Porto After being fundamental in the last games to break lines with his leadership and vision of the game, the pivot a fantastic start to the course is setting and he is the sixth outfield player with the most minutes despite the fact that he only participated in the final ten minutes of the match against Elche.
The entry of Kondogbia at the break of the match in Cornellà, together with Lemar and Lodi, was essential for Atlético could come back against Espanyol and took three very suffered points, showing two opposite faces in the two halves. The international player for the Central African Republic He gave a lot of presence to the center of the field, balanced the pressure, put strength and judgment with the ball. And Simeone wanted to reward him by returning him to eleven in the Champions League debut against Porto, where Kondogbia again left a great version and providential action in the first half, when he hit the ground at the exact moment as Zaido prepared to finish in an outstanding defensive cut and that avoided what was already half a goal.
That play gave him a standing ovation from Wanda Metropolitano and was decisive for him to Kondogbia was named by UEFA as best player of the match. The pivot was the second Atlético player who completed the most passes (43, to Giménez's 45), the one who recovered the most balls from the game (six, like Lodi and Uribe) and once again demonstrated an enormous fortitude to become owner of the center of the field. Simeone decided to move the team, he understood that it could generate danger with a defense of four and in the last minutes he retired an exhausted Felipe, lowering the position of Kondogbia to the center of the defense forming a pair with Giménez.
That versatility that promises to give a lot to the coach, since he only has five centrals in the squad and Savic has to serve three more games of suspension in the Champions League. At the moment, the center of the mattress field is having difficulties to generate football, but every time Kondogbia is involved, the pressure, recovery and work grows remarkably. He has earned himself to be important in Atlético's schemes and has completed three of the first five games of the season. He is going through a great moment of form and at the moment he is capital for Cholo. At a physical point above their peers, Kondogbia wants to show day after day that he is prepared to play a relevant role in this team, and at the moment, each game is earning more stripes. Kondogbia's time has come.