Well, how about that — Atlético de Madrid won a match at Levante.
For the first time since June 2020, Atlético emerged from a league match at the Ciutat de València with three points in the bag. Goals either side of halftime from Álex Grimaldo and Giuliano Simeone saw Atleti claim a 2-0 victory for their seventh consecutive win in LaLiga, as the Rojiblancos reinforced their credentials as potential title contenders in 2026/27.
Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s solid performance in Valencia.
“Cholo-Taka” melts Levante
Giuliano’s 62nd-minute goal is the product of high-level back-to-front buildup that Atleti have long struggled to bring out away from home, in venues just like the Ciutat de Valéncia. The 19-pass sequence involves every Atleti player except Lee Kang-in. It kicks into gear when Grimaldo carries the ball backward to trigger Levante’s press, after which Atlético simply switch the play and drive through the open central spaces.
After Marcos Llorente and Marc Pubill play a one-two deep within the Atleti half, Pubill pings a pass toward Pablo Barrios along the touchline, down the right side. Barrios takes a sublime touch to shake off his marker Dani Requena — who had forced Jan Oblak into a super save after 10 minutes — and quickly swings a pass toward Álex Baena with his left foot.
The unmarked Baena springs into action, carrying the ball through the center of the Ciutat de València; at the same time, Giuliano backs into the left-back Nacho Pérez and takes off on a lung-bursting diagonal run. Baena feathers the assist just out of center-back Ifeanyi Ndukwe’s reach, and Giuliano uses his strength to hold off Pérez and Ndukwe before controlling the ball with his right foot and rolling it past the onrushing Mat Ryan with his left.
The goal tells us a lot about Atlético, from Barrios’ skill and motor to the unstoppable Baena — now up to three assists to pair with his five goals. Having two center-backs who are comfortable in build-up (and Cuti Romero waiting to return) has helped Atleti consistently control games away from home for the first time in several years.
It also shows that Giuliano is more than just a runner; his diagonal run and delicate poke past Ryan demonstrate the intelligence and creativity in his play. Giuliano continues to face doubts about his ability, and he continues to dispel them with any notion that he is a “nice story” or that his role should be reduced because he miscontrols the ball some times. With his goal Saturday, he is one away from equaling his total in last year’s Liga, in 37 percent of the minutes.
Everyone understands how Giuliano’s attitude and spirit won him a place at Atleti. But he’s an adaptable and just plain good player, too.
The dependability of Dávid
Dávid Hancko doesn’t get enough credit for his consistency. After he almost singlehandedly saved the clean sheet on Saturday, this is his opportunity.
After he raced to recover the ball near his own penalty area, Llorente hit an overconfident pass toward Barrios, but it skipped clear of the midfielder and the ball ended up at the feet of center-forward Etta Eyong. A momentary pause as he prepared to shoot allowed Hancko enough time to slide over the deflect the shot out of play for a corner and prevent Eyong from halving the deficit with 20-plus minutes to go.
There’s plenty to admire in the way Hancko approaches each game: a disciplined, businesslike style from a player whose qualities are flashier than he lets on. He ranks in the 93rd percentile for line-breaking passes among defenders in LaLiga, and the 98th percentile for chances created per 90 minutes by defenders. But out of possession, he hardly ever fouls and he wins nearly two-thirds percent of his individual duels.
Hancko has been one of the first names on Diego Simeone’s team sheet since he arrived 15 months ago from Feyenoord. Pop open the hood and it’s easy to see why: Simeone values consistency above all else, and Hancko has been about as consistent as they come.
Simeone’s 344th win
Cholo Simeone’s lengthy tenure on the Atlético touchline has brought him into contact with a whole lot of history. On Saturday, he tied the legendary Luis Aragonés with his 344th win in LaLiga, the most ever accrued by a single manager in the Spanish top flight.
“Spending 15 years at a club isn’t easy,” a contemplative and thankful Simeone said post-match. “Building everything we’ve built isn’t simple.”
What Simeone has built at Atlético has flagged at certain points, as can be expected over his many years in charge. But El Cholo’s work continues to speak for itself. In only five seasons across club history have Atleti started as well as (or better) than this; the Colchoneros went on to win the title in two of the previous four seasons.
At any rate, Atlético are well on course to surpass 20 wins and accrue 70 points for the 14th time in 15 seasons and secure UEFA Champions League football through league position for the 15th year running. Atleti’s elevation into the elite has been fortified through Simeone’s penchant for extracting the maximum from most of his squads; it convinced the board to spend big on the Ciudad del Deporte complex — part of which opens next June — and it convinced Apollo Sports Capital to buy a majority stake in the club for €2.5 billion.
Each Simeone win has forged a link in one of European football’s most distinctive chains. He goes for 345 — and first place in LaLiga — next week against FC Barcelona.
Still looking for Lookman
Six months ago, Ademola Lookman appeared to be one of Atleti’s pillars.
Things have changed. Right now, he can’t even get into the team.
Lookman has been stuck on one league goal since August. That strike against Sevilla remains his only goal contribution across 609 minutes in LaLiga. He looked shorn of confidence, and increasingly isolated and frustrated, over his 15 minutes at the Ciutat de València.
Form comes and goes. Lookman is a really good player experiencing a downturn, and based on his track record, you’d back him to start finding the net regularly soon. But the bigger issue facing him right now is he doesn’t have a place in the side.
Baena has become a fundamental player in the left midfield/inside forward position Lookman played when he arrived in February, and Lookman hasn’t enjoyed great chemistry with Grimaldo (or Dani Martínez, when the canterano has played). Simeone also preferred Lee Kang-in as Julián Alvarez’s partner over Lookman, even if Kang-in is still adapting to the position. Jonathan David and Alexander Sørloth are competing for minutes too, and we know “recovering” Alvarez is a priority for the coaching staff.
It adds up to an increasingly awkward and uncomfortable situation for Lookman, but he’ll have to remain patient over the course of a long season.
