Osasuna had more possession, shots, crosses and corners than Atlético Madrid, yet Atleti outperformed the Rojillos where it mattered most: on the scoresheet.
The result feels harsh on Osasuna. Their supporters will feel aggrieved over multiple refereeing decisions, and they looked far and away the more organized and dangerous side. But Simeone’s men did just enough to get by.
Aside from Ademola Lookman’s 15th-minute penalty, it was a fairly dreadful first half of attacking football for Atlético. So
much so that goalkeeper Juan Musso ranked third in ball actions, second in passes attempted and fourth in accurate passes. Once Atleti were able to play their way out of the back and “string four passes together,” they still struggled to create anything meaningful, attempting just one dribble in the first half and failing to complete it.
Just before halftime, debut referee José Luis Guzmán Mansilla initially awarded Osasuna a penalty and showed Musso a yellow card for what appeared to be a foul on Ante Budimir. Thankfully for Atleti, VAR intervened and determined that Musso punched the ball first, and the penalty and yellow card decisions were reversed.
Coming out of halftime, Atleti did little to progress until Marcos Llorente made his mark on the match in both brilliant — and costly — fashion, providing the assist for Alexander Sørloth’s eventual winning goal before being sent off with his second yellow card. Down to 10 men and without their most versatile player, Atleti continued to suffer when Kike Barja grabbed Osasuna’s lone goal in the dying moments. Clément Lenglet nearly handed it all away late with a risky challenge on Budimir in the penalty area.
In the end, though, it proved to be too little, too late, as Atlético secured a crucial away victory to remain within striking distance of third place in La Liga behind Villarreal CF. It’s the first time in six months that the Rojiblancos have won consecutive away matches in the league.
Let’s dive into some takeaways.
“Parte Médico” strikes again
The theme of recent weeks has been key players missing extended periods of time through a variety of muscle injuries. The following list comprises first-team players who did not make the trip to Pamplona for this reason:
- José María Giménez
- Pablo Barrios
- Johnny Cardoso
- Julián Alvarez
- Giuliano Simeone
- Nahuel Molina
- Nico González
Rodrigo Mendoza, a recurring guest to the injury report, was subbed off shortly after Atleti’s opening goal with muscular discomfort. Earlier this season, Mendoza picked up a Grade 2 ankle sprain that caused him to miss six weeks. An already-depleted midfield just became even thinner. Simeone will have to rely on 34-year-old captain Koke and Obed Vargas to anchor his midfield for the final two games.
Of the seven players who did not dress due to injury, four have previously missed time at key moments of the season. Pablo Barrios effectively missed effectively every important game from Atlético’s Champions League and Copa del Rey run. Julián Alvarez was subbed off before 90 minutes were up in both legs against Arsenal. You have to think a full-strength Alvarez and Barrios would have changed Atleti’s chances in both matches.
Dávid Hancko, arguably Simeone’s best defender this season, picked up an ankle injury against Barcelona that caused him to miss the Copa del Rey final and the second leg against Barcelona in the Champions League quarterfinals. If Hancko plays in the Copa del Rey final, do Atleti concede the opening goal within 14 seconds?
Given that Simeone heavily rested his starters in LaLiga matches the past three months, one would assume that injuries would be the least of the club’s worries. Yet it continues to happen.
The good and the bad
With each passing performance, Marc Pubill makes his case as one of the best summer transfers in European football. The soon-to-be Spain international made eight clearances and five recoveries while standing out both at full-back and center-back.
As he has done several times this season, Pubill channeled his inner Gandalf and did not allow anyone to pass. He’s continually showing his ability to venture up the pitch and add to the attack and was almost rewarded with a goal. He was deservedly named MVP of the match.
Obed Vargas meanwhile continues to stake his claim for winter transfer of the season. Each time Simeone counts on him, he delivers: winning duels, carrying the ball forward and demonstrating a physical level that is built for the elite.
While Pubill and Vargas get all the praise, Thiago Almada cannot seem to figure it out and his confidence is at an all-time low. Almada was virtually nonexistent in Pamplona, failing to register a shot, a touch in the opposition box, a created chance or a completed dribble.
On Monday, Matteo Moretto re-emphasized that the club is going to listen to offers for Almada this summer. Simeone no longer appears to view him as a priority and frankly, it would be better for both parties to just move on.
Sørloth hits 20 goals (again)
Alexander Sørloth has scored 20 goals in all competitions. Yes, that’s a real stat.
Sørloth was far from a headline-grabbing signing, and many felt the club overpaid at €32 million for the striker at the time, especially with Transfermarkt valuing him at €25 million in summer 2024. Several supporters were let down as Sørloth was considered the “Plan B” following the Artem Dovbyk debacle.
But n 105 appearances across two seasons at the club, the Norwegian has 44 goals total in all competitions. That’s an impressive feat; it places him statistically alongside names like Mohamed Salah, Robert Lewandowski and the reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé.
The issue for Sørloth is mostly how he scores his goals, which per his own words, are “like ketchup.” In the past two seasons, Sørloth has scored 33 goals in LaLiga, six goals in the Champions League, four goals in the Copa del Rey and one goal in the Supercopa de España. It’s worth noting that all six of Sørloth’s Champions League goals came this season and all four of his Copa del Rey goals came last season.
Timing, consistency and location are the three main criticisms levied against Sørloth. This season in La Liga, Sørloth has only scored twice from the Metropolitano; his scoring droughts have included six-game goalless runs and two four-match barren stretches. Last season in La Liga, he went seven matches without scoring at one point.
Sørloth did manage to quiet some of the criticism this season with a key goal against Barcelona at Camp Nou in the Champions League, and his hat trick against Club Brugge got Atleti through the playoff round trap in the first place. His Atleti legacy though is likely to boil down to his performances off the bench in 2024/25, when he scored 14 times as a substitute and powered a title push that lasted into March.
When he seems to fully care and give it his all, Sørloth is unplayable, but when his when his intensity drops, he’s just a warm body on the pitch. Personally, I feel the club should take advantage of reported interest in him from AC Milan and Barça. Overall, if Atlético can recover most, if not all, of their initial investment for Sørloth, you take that offer and thank him for his services.
