Atlético Madrid were beaten for the second game running by an inspired Athletic Club at San Mamés on Saturday night.
The loss sees Atlético fall nine points off top spot, staying in fourth place and now
four points behind Villarreal (who have a game in hand).
An unimpressive Atleti were only able to create a total of 0.65 xG, making it the third time in four games where that metric has fallen below 1.
A late Álex Berenguer goal saw the hosts finally convert from a move they were being allowed to do all match. Nico Williams rolled the ball across the edge of the penalty area, and with no Atleti players alert to Berenguer’s run, he was able to strike the ball home with his left foot.
It was slightly frustrating to see a team who has struggled to score recently, and whose goalkeeper has been sub-par too, have their misfortunes turn right before our very eyes.
Onto the ratings from a drab night up North, brought to you by Into the Calderón.
Player Ratings
Jan Oblak: Had a very active game, what with his defence leaking chance after chance. None of Oblak’s saves were extraordinary, and he was spared from picking the ball out of his net more often by a lack of finishing ability from Athletic’s forwards. 4
Nahuel Molina: Fifth consecutive start, taking advantage of Marcos Llorente’s injury. Just when we thought his dark days were over, Molina went and got torn a new one by Nico Williams. How we miss our coloured-glasses wearing, SPF-denying, raw meat-loving right-back. 3
Marc Pubill: Second start of the season — once again at center-back — to replace Josema Giménez who picked up a knock against Barcelona. Struggled to deal with Athletic’s committed numbers in attack, but wasn’t helped by being left to deal with Molina’s scraps when Williams got the better of him. Uses his frame well to get the better of strikers but doesn’t quite put it on the line in the same way that Giménez does. 4
Clément Lenglet: Consistently beaten in the air and on the ground by Athletic crosses until he was taken off on 62 minutes. Robin Le Normand’s return can’t come soon enough for Los Colchoneros. 3
Dávid Hancko: Crosses came thick and fast from his side of the pitch in the first half. Was moved into the heart of defence after an hour, and although he provided more solidity than Lenglet, the winning goal came when he and those in his line were caught flat-footed. 4
Giuliano Simeone: Led the Argentine armada made up of the front four starting players that chased the ball down in numbers. Not Giuli’s finest game by any stretch, and perhaps is missing his pal Llorente as a point of reference on the pitch. His link-up with Molina doesn’t quite click in the same way as it does with the Spaniard. 4
Pablo Barrios: A little scatty at times and was definitely missing his captain in the first half. Was it him who let Berenguer appear in a goalscoring position for their goal? His good start to the season seems to have hit a slight plateau in recent games, which is something that needs to be addressed quickly. Koke can’t be our only capable central midfielder. 4
Conor Gallagher: Brought in to replace the injured Johnny Cardoso and to give Koke a well-deserved rest. It felt like the Englishman was, at times, getting himself in the way of his teammates at both ends of the pitch. A yellow card he picked up on 11 minutes for a studs-up challenge meant he was hauled off at half time, and Koke was called into action. Recent reports have suggested there may be a way out for Gallagher back to the Premier League in this coming transfer window. 3
Nico Gonzalez: Showed signs of promise in the first period, but in the battle of the left-sided Nicos, our guy definitely came off second-best. Since his debut against Villarreal in mid-September, he hasn’t managed to find the back of the net. 4
Thiago Almada: Given a free role behind Alvarez in what was his first start since August 30. Found himself as the beneficiary of a great ball by la araña early on, but saw his improvised volley well saved by the feet of Unai Simón. Would like to have seen him play the full match, but ultimately subbed off after 62 minutes to allow Sørloth the chance to change the game. 5
Julián Alvarez: The wait for an away goal stretches to nine games. Without Álex Baena, he was given more protagonismo, but he failed to convert the few half-chances he created. His shirt number suggests he’s a hybrid between a 10 and a 9, but whatever he is, it’s clear Alvarez is going through his toughest spell in an Atleti shirt. 3
Substitutes
Koke: Brought on for the second 45 minutes, but could have easily done with a rest. Had a snap-shot blocked that fell to him late on from a corner that would’ve been nice to see go in. Questions over his duties as captain in tough times rarely come up due to the amount of attention focused towards the bench and the board usually. He will need to use all his leaderships skills to keep his team motivated and looking ahead to another tough away trip in midweek. 4
Matteo Ruggeri: Had some runs up the flank but offered little from what my eye saw. 3
Alexander Sørloth: Had a header trapped by Simón that was converted into an Athletic goal barely 10 seconds later. He was moving backwards as he made contact with the ball, but you’d expect a towering figure like Sørloth to do better. 3
Antoine Griezmann: Shaved the mullet off. 9 OK, now time for his football rating. 4
Giacomo Raspadori: Shoved over to the left side where he really doesn’t want to be, nor does his profile suit. Gone are the days of just plonking anyone in a wide position, Cholo. 3
