Just how fast the night changes. A little over a month ago, Atletico de Madrid were 10 points adrift of FC Barcelona in LaLiga and placed 27th in the Champions League with a shocking goal difference of minus-5. I had deemed them to be practically out of the running in the league but fast forward to now, and Atlético are five points behind the Catalan outfit with a game in hand and in Europe, they sit in 15th ahead of the likes of AC Milan, Manchester City, Juventus, PSG and even Real Madrid — not to mention they have clawed that goal difference back to a respectable +2 in just two games. What do I know, eh?
Since losing to Real Betis on Oct. 27, Atlético have been as close to perfect as possible, winning eight games on the trot across three competitions, including Thursday’s 3-1 comeback triumph over Cacereño in the Copa del Rey. The Rojiblancos have outscored opponents 23-3 in this period, complementing their strong defense with an attack that has finally seemed to click.
Apparently, all it took was a conversation – though I may be loosely translating what Koke meant in his recent interview.
“After the Betis loss, we had a very important team meeting,” the captain explained to Marca. “We all needed to understand where we stood, and that conversation helped us a lot. That’s why the team is performing at the level it is today.”
Now, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, it must be said that this was a great run of games to begin with. Domestically, Atlético came up against UE Vic and CP Cacereño in the Copa del Rey, two sides that play in the sixth and fourth division respectively. Both sides gave them something of a jump scare, but late goals in both games saw the Rojiblancos through with considerable rotations, too.
Atlético’s purple patch is channeling Simeone teams of the past — but is it merely the function of a kind fixture list?
In the league, Atleti played three of the bottom seven in LaLiga: Las Palmas, Deportivo Alavés and Real Valladolid. Sixth-placed Mallorca offered Diego Simeone’s men the only real challenge and in a rather even game, Atleti snuck through with a solitary goal from Julián Alvarez. In Europe, they channeled the spirit of Simeone teams of past, nicking a last-second winner against PSG in a game where they had just 29% possession and were outshot 22-4. They did follow this up by putting six past Sparta Praha, though this was a side that have won just once so far.
Again, this is not to say that the Rojiblancos have not been excellent, but have things actually changed at the Metropolitano? Or are Atlético simply going through a favorable fixture run?
For starters, it is a pleasant surprise that Atleti have capitalized on their fixtures. As noted in this piece by Jeremy Beren, Simeone’s Atlético last won at least five away games on the bounce back in 2012, and the last time their win streak was as long as this was back in 2018. The last six to 12 years have been peppered by consistent inconsistency, where the Rojiblancos have dropped points to many a side they were expected to beat. It is, therefore, a positive sign that this rejuvenated side have made the most of their last eight games.
Statistically, there have been improvements. The biggest concern heading into this period was the fact that six out of the eight games were away from home – modern-day Atlético’s kryptonite. In their first seven away games this season, Atleti registered more xG than their opponents on just two occasions. In their last six away games, however, they have done this a resounding five times.
The misfiring attack had also come under scrutiny, with Alexander Sørloth responsible for key misses and star signing Alvarez looking out of sorts. With seven goals in the last eight, criticism has faded for the beloved La Araña and the team’s improvement in form has allowed Cholo to take Sørloth out of the spotlight. Since Betis, the Norwegian has only played more than a single half of football twice, and away from the pressure he has doubled his goal tally for the season with three in the last eight. It appears that Simeone has finally landed on a structure that can rotate the attackers while maintaining output regardless of who is on the pitch.
There are, of course, some key reasons why this new structure works so well — the obvious one being Giuliano Simeone’s introduction into the senior side, which has made the tactical shifts possible thanks to his high-energy play. Cholo has always been one for taking matters into his own hands but this time, he has done literally that with Giuliano. There is also the case of Javi Galán, who has come out of nowhere to become something of a mainstay at left-back. With Samuel Lino and Rodrigo Riquelme going through rough patches, Galán’s purple-patch has allowed Cholo to experiment down the left-flank. With Conor Gallagher often used as a relatively-wide left midfielder, Galán has the freedom to move forward in possession and out of it, his relative weakness in defending space is masked by Gallagher’s presence. Galán’s technicality and passing have been excellent down the left too, which means that Atleti are not confined to finding avenues solely down the right.
Real Valladolid CF v Atletico de Madrid - La Liga EA Sports Photo by Diego Souto/Getty Images
Then there is the presence of José María Giménez. Often plagued by fitness issues, Giménez has now registered his highest number of appearances at this stage of a season for the Rojiblancos, and it is no coincidence that the defense has looked more solid with him in it. In fact, all three of the goals that Atlético have conceded in this period were in games where Giménez was rested or suspended. The aging duo of Axel Witsel and César Azpilicueta have rightly seen reduced minutes, and even when Robin Le Normand’s brain injury kept him sidelined for two months, Atlético’s defense remained steady thanks to third captain Giménez — as well as the emergence of Clément Lenglet, whose well-cushioned goal-bound header sparked Atleti to rally against Cacereño.
Four more games remain in December, and Atlético can realistically hope to extend their winning streak till the end of the month when they face Barcelona away from home. Cacereño’s jump scare should keep the Rojiblancos on their toes ahead of three consecutive home games against struggling sides. The first to visit are Sevilla, who sit 11th with just five wins in 15, followed by Slovan Bratislava, who are winless and sit second from bottom in the Champions League. Finally, they welcome Getafe, who sit just outside the relegation spots by virtue of their goal difference. Win these, and the final game before the winter break against Barcelona should be set up nicely, with the winner potentially claiming top spot heading into the holiday season.
It would be the perfect Christmas gift for Colchoneros around the world and considering Atleti’s recent form, it is not beyond reach either. However, if there’s one thing we know about Atlético de Madrid, it is to always expect the unexpected.