Just days after defeating Barcelona 4-0 in the Copa Del Rey semifinals, Simeone and his men are outplayed by a Rayo Vallecano side near the latter half of the table.
With the injection of nine changes from Thursday’s match, the starting eleven brought opportunity for many players.
Here’s how they rated in a 3-0 away loss:
Player Ratings
Oblak
Conceded three goals against a Rayo Vallecano team that were hungry and precise in the final third. The keeper was visibly frustrated
after the poor performance, and he could have done a little better on Nobel Mendy’s 76th-minute goal from a corner. 3
Molina
Coming off one of his strongest showings of the season against Barcelona, Molina looked very much subdued against Rayo. The defender was unable to get forward with the same venom that brought him success on Thursday, and the right side without the rested Giuliano Simeone suffered mightily. 4
Giménez
If you’ve ever seen Giménez play, you’d know he is always ready and willing to put his body on the line to defend. This match was no different, with the Uruguayan quick to dive in to go block a shot or win a 50/50 ball in the air. He even attempted to throw himself head first and block Isi Palazón’s open shot on net in Rayo Vallecano’s second goal. Admirable, but for nought in a heavy defeat. 5
Lenglet
Gave the ball away just outside the 18-yard box and then failed to track Óscar Valentín on 45 minutes for Rayo’s second goal. These mistakes were detrimental and directly led to Atléti doubling their deficit before halftime. 2
Ruggeri
Had trouble containing Andrei Rațiu and the Rayo right-back turned him inside-out for the opening goal on 40 minutes. The defender was taken off for Obed Vargas shortly after the half. 3
Almada
The Argentine had moments of promise in an otherwise quiet offensive match. With freedom to roam the pitch, Almada was able to find space to dribble or distribute. His three key passes and multiple crosses helped to create what little offense the team could muster. 5.5
Mendoza
Kept his touches on the ball quick and simple but was unable to create much moving forward. His careless yellow for a foul on Rațiu means he will miss the match against Espanyol in a week. 3.5
Johnny Cardoso
Getting a start in the midfield, Johnny tried to win the ball back quickly and recycle it to Thiago Almada, Álex Baena or Rodri Mendoza. The American was able to break the occasional press from the opposition, but did give away a poor free kick with his misplaced tackle on Ilias Akhomach, picking up a yellow card in the process. Like the rest of the team, Cardoso was unable to produce much of anything in the final third. 3.5
Baena
From the opening minutes Baena looked eager to go forward, often dribbling into space or looking for a slotted ball forward, but he quickly fizzled out. Aside from a shot that whizzed over the crossbar, the midfielder left the pitch without creating any definitive chances. 3.5
Nico Gonzalez
Though the midfielder put more than one cross into the box while in possession, he was caught ball watching on Rayo Vallecano’s opening goal, leaving plenty of space for Fran Pérez to exploit. 3
Sørloth
A quiet and uneventful shift for the striker, who was unable to log a single shot. 2
Subs
Le Normand
Replaced Mendoza in the 56th minute and made multiple clearances. Passed out of pressure fairly well, too. 5
Vargas
Attempted to move the ball forward while in possession, but was unable to gain much of a foothold in the game. The former Seattle Sounders player will hope to build more of a presence as he gets additional minutes in future matches. 4
Alvarez
Came on for Baena in an attempt to spur some offense, but the substitution did little to change the match, especially after Rayo added their third goal. 4
Llorente
Picked up a yellow minutes after coming onto the pitch and was then beaten in the air by a determined Nobel Mendy, who brought the opposition’s lead to three. 3
Lookman
A similar story to Alvarez, the Nigeria international was unable to do much on the offensive front after he slotted in for Clément Lenglet in the 63rd minute. 4
