The Atlético de Madrid fell before him Real Mallorca at the game this past Saturday in the Wanda Metropolitano. A hard stick for the colchoneros who are ten points behind the leader of LaLiga, the Real Madrid (with one game less the colchoneros). Beyond the points, the feelings do not correspond to those of the previous season, the team’s performance is not being what would be expected from a squad even better than last season. What is happening to Atlético? Why doesn’t it finish booting?
1- GREATER DEFENSIVE FRAGILITY
One of Atlético’s great differences compared to the previous season is undoubtedly its defensive performance. We are talking about the rojiblanco team with the most goals conceded at this stage of the season since Simeone came to the bench. There are 16 in the league, when to date, the worst record had been that of 14 goals conceded in 16/17. A clear example of this circumstance is the fact of goals conceded from set pieces. Between penalties, fouls and corners there are eight, half of the total. Without a doubt, Atlético established its leadership last season thanks to its defensive strength, it had barely conceded seven goals at this point, now there are 11 more.
2- INDIVIDUAL ERRORS
The comparison of Atlético de Madrid season 20/21.
Coinciding with the fact that defensive work as well as offense has always been everyone’s business in the Athletic, something that has always remarked Simeone, the reality shows that in the case of the defense there have been individual defensive errors that have cost many goals. Unnecessary penalties such as Handsome before him Liverpool, failures in the brand such as the own Handsome in view of Russo in the Mallorca, robbery Kondogbia on Mestalla, errors of Felipe, Savic…
3- THE SYSTEMS DANCE
In the past course, the Athletic He based his initial advantage that would serve him to settle in the leadership of the table in the 5-3-2 system that was worth him until the final stretch of the campaign in which Simeone changed to 4-4-2. However, at present, with just a third of competition, there are already several drawings that the coach has put into the fray, without any of them being the decisive one. Incorporating a footballer like From Paul or the arrival of Griezmann They have made it necessary to adapt the system to the new reality, without, for the moment, the team having a drawing as recognizable as in last season.
The image of Atlético de Madrid’s training session is curious.
4- DROP OF KEY PLAYERS
The title of League Achieved by Atlético de Madrid last season, it was founded on the high individual performance of many players, boosted by collective performances that served to give them the best of themselves. Several of those footballers are not at the level of last year, due to the circumstances. cloud adds 16 goals conceded in the League, a rarity. He has only been able to leave a clean sheet in six of the 20 competitive matches this year. Joao has been injured for a while, far from the version of that player who with his eight goals until November of the previous year raised Atlético to the lead. Trippier he has not had continuity and is below the player from last year. Llorente, displaced. Correa, the same. Boil, below the level of the previous year, Handsome the same … The list is long.
The comparison of Atlético de Madrid in the 19/20 season.
5- MOVEMENT OF PLAYERS
In the past season, footballers like Marcos Llorente placeholder image O Angel Correa they were key, vital, in the achievement of the title. In the case of the Madrilenian, his presence on the inside, even as a second striker, triggered the team’s offensive capacity. For his part, the Argentine, as a forward – that’s important – found the goals that ended up giving the team the title. Now, Llorente he is sacrificed on the side, where he has less overflow, where he can contribute less, or in a scheme of three in the middle where he is more of a midfielder than an interior. He barely has an assist when last season he added 13 goals and 12 passes. Meanwhile, Correa is repositioned on the inside or in a three-up system that also takes him away from the goal. His start in the course was paradigmatic in this sense, when he did play at the top. Three goals in two games, to later lose prominence displaced by the need to make room for Griezmann, Suarez, etc.
– Atlético de Madrid midfielder Marcos Llorente (d) and Jaume Costa midfielder
6- UNEXPECTED
Another issue that is weighing on this first leg of the season has to do with injuries. Important players in the scheme Simeone have seen their participation interrupted or directly, as is the case of Joao FelixThey have hardly been able to adapt to the normal rhythm. The Portuguese was out for weeks after the summer ankle operation and then suffered a muscle injury. Trippier, it also goes down a couple of times. Gimenez, muscle problems. Lemar, also muscularly injured, etc.
7- MORE GUN BUT LESS GOALS
In curious because of all the things that are pointed out in this start, the offensive aspect may be the one that goes the most unnoticed. The offensive numbers, not being bad, are below last year as well. Not so significantly of course. Atlético have more gunpowder than ever and they are not misusing it, they have 27 goals, but they are still below their performance last year. With more weapons, we already say. At this stage in the League, with 15 games, Atlético had 29 goals, two more than right now.
8- HE HAS LOST HIS RESISTANCE
What happened in the game against him Mallorca, conceding two goals in the final minutes, has become one of the problems of the Athletic in this grade. That mental fortitude to withstand rival sieges. Eight of the 16 goals have been conceded in the second half. Seven of the goals in the last quarter of the clash, from 75 to 90. Goals that in many cases have cost points. In Levante, the goal of Bardhi In 1990, when Atlético had the victory, they blew up two points. On Mestalla, the two so many of Hugo DuroBoth from 90 ‘, they blew another two. The two goals of Mallorca, from 80 ‘onwards, three more points. Before him Villarreal, that of Danjuma in ’76 he made the Athletic could only rescue a point in the final part. If we do not count this one, because the rojiblancos tied at the end, the total of points evaporated in the last plays has been seven in total. Curiously, only one point less than the difference between the team and last year (it added eight more at this point).
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