After a second scrappy performance this week, Atlético Madrid find themselves level on points with FC Barcelona (who are yet to play) following a 3-1 win over Levante.
It was an identical score line to the one in midweek against Union St. Gilloise in the Champions League, and an eerily-similar performance as well. A smart Jan Oblak save to keep things level was quickly followed up by a third goal that relieved some nerves, just that on this occasion, the visitors had a bit more time for another scare.
We looked set for a blockbuster finish when Carlos Álvarez’s late free kick found the back of the net for Levante, but the (rightful) offside decision saved the hosts their blushes.
Diego Simeone’s side did show more attacking impetus today, peppering the goal with 25 shots, though just 10 of those found the target. One way or another, the result extends Atleti’s winning run in the league to four games now, and heading into the final international break of the year, the Rojiblancos have picked up 19 out of a possible 21 points from the past seven rounds of LaLiga.
Week of jump scares
It was Halloween last week, but the spirit of the festival seemingly has not left the Metropolitano. For the second straight game, Atleti came within inches of dropping points, and this is discounting the tight offside call late on.
The Rojiblancos rode their luck when Louis Patris failed to connect with a free header in the six-yard box in midweek, and they relied heavily on Oblak’s reflexes to keep Goduine Koyalipou’s sharp header out in the 77th minute today. That would have leveled the scores and set us up for a frantic and rather unnecessary, finish considering Atleti’s foothold. Fortunately, Antoine Griezmann scored two minutes later to bag his first brace in LaLiga for 11 months.
Despite the results — 9-1 over the past seven days — this serves as a mildly frustrating way to go into the break, and you can only believe that Cholo Simeone is not too pleased either. He trudged down the tunnel after the third goal in midweek and continued to look somewhat bemused with what he was seeing from the touchline today. When former Rojiblanco Manu Sánchez drifted in unmarked at the back post to equalize for Levante with the visitors’ first shot, Simeone cut an exasperated figure seeing his side cede their dominance once again.
That said, Atleti have come out of a crucial period with nearly maximum points. With more crunch games to come, El Cholo will hope that he can iron out the errors when the players return from the break.
Strong(er) starts
The Rojiblancos have now scored the opening goal for the 12th league game in a row. That is every single game from day one. They are also only one of three sides (Barcelona and Real Madrid) to have scored in every game so far.
What is more important though is that Atlético are no longer dropping so many points from winning positions — even though that figure (11 points) is still much too large.
Simeone understands the players that he has at hand and, in the league at least, he is willing to get high up the pitch and take the game to the opposition. Even in the derby against Real Madrid, it was Atleti that started the better of the sides, and the Colchoneros continued to pick apart Xabi Alonso’s side even after they had restored their advantage in the second half.
However, that was also a game where they quickly went 1-2 down and had to claw themselves back up. It makes one wonder, how sustainable is this going to be?
Atleti are going to need to find ways to put games to bed early on and make the best use of their strong starts. The attacking personnel are plenty and, while they might be snubbed for a few awards, every one of them are top players in their position. It should not be an outlandish ask of this side to settle a few games before half-time. They have shown that they can score goals – they scored three each in their last three home games alone – and have no excuses for stopping anytime soon.
As the schedule continues to pile on, it will become ever so important to make deep runs across the different tournaments. We know the drop off in quality when faced with a few key injuries, and that is something Atleti simply cannot afford.
Right vs. left
In LaLiga, Atlético now have the highest percentage of attacks down the right flank — unsurprising, considering Marcos Llorente and Giuliano Simeone play down that side.
However, this is also a direct result of the lack of bite down the left.
There have been many discussions about the left-back spot in particular, where none of Matteo Ruggeri, Javi Galán or Dávid Hancko have made the spot their own. Hancko does get a let-off since he has been crucial at center-back, and he now cannot be moved over since the only cover there is Clément Lenglet. Further forward, the personnel do get significantly better with Nico González, Thiago Almada and Álex Baena vying for the left-winger spot. Yet here too none have staked a solid claim.
With Almada’s injury early on, Nico had a promising run of games and might have seemed the most likely candidate to keep the spot. However, Baena now has had a few games down the left; even if he wasn’t super effective today, his creativity and playmaking are two qualities the side can’t do without. Almada, meanwhile, is yet to start upon his return. It almost seems as though Simeone has not figured his best combination out yet.
It is far easier down the right side. Giuliano has no direct replacement for his position and as for Llorente, Nahuel Molina and Marc Pubill are much lower than him in the pecking order. The consistency in personnel down the flank, which also includes Pablo Barrios, has helped all three players thrive there.
The Rojiblancos are far from the finished product. Simeone’s are picking up results as they find their best 11, something that they have struggled to do in seasons past. But keep your eyes peeled for any developments down the left as Simeone continues to find his best combination.
