The situation
Atlético can’t find the way. After a great preseason, the official matches have had a very different script and even in the victories there has been the feeling that there was no completely round match. The runrún is heard in the stands of the Metropolitan and the defeat against Leverkusen will force them to work on qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League. A concern in the fans that comes largely from a loss of identity in the team’s game. It is not very clear if Simeone’s plan this season is to play against, withdraw and go out, dominate with the ball, press in his own field or do it closer to the rival area . There are bumps. The famous allusion to the blanket is getting shorter than ever for Atlético. Either he defends in a low block, leaving talented players like João Félix or Morata’s stride 50 meters from the rival area, with many difficulties to generate chances, or he goes up the lines and uncovers himself in the rear with a weak defensive line where injuries de Savic and Giménez once again weigh down the team enormously. And all this with Griezmann, one of the most lucid footballers, reduced to the final 30 minutes. The midfield is usually the most reliable line to assess a team. If the engine room fails, the rest of the team suffers. And there is a disconnection where neither football is generated for those above nor water is reduced when the rivals look for spaces . The best proof of the doubts in the middle of Atlético is the number of changes that Simeone has been making game after game.
The details
He only repeated his three midfielders between the first and second days of the League (Koke-Lemar-Llorente). A line of three that on many occasions seems to fall short, lacks players to become as wide as his coach wants, who has turned Llorente to the right to plug Nahuel Molina’s defensive shortcomings. After falling against Villarreal, and with Molina himself suspended for two games, Llorente moved to the right lane and Simeone turned his midfielder with the entry of Kondogbia and De Paul along with Koke in search of muscle. Lemar went to the bench and his entry was essential for the victory, assisting a Griezmann who is the usual trick in the middle from the 60th minute . Against Real Sociedad, the coach passed Saúl from the left lane, where he had played at Mestalla, to the pivot, substituting Kondogbia… the change was reversed at half-time with the ilicitano booked.