Although FC Barcelona and Real Madrid will be the two main favorites for the new La Liga season which kicks off this weekend, the sheer consistency of Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid should not be sneezed at.
Simeone is the perennial of La Liga, returning to Atletico as coach in 2012 and overseeing the continued evolution of the squad ever since while winning two league titles.
There have been times, such as the first three months of last season, when the model looked to be running out of steam, but Simeone has always been able to provoke a reaction and prove the doubters wrong.
Atletico went into the break for the 2022 World Cup last November, with big doubts over whether they would even qualify for Europe, but a run of 15 wins, five draws and just two defeats in the last 22 games of the season, saw them finish third, just a point behind Real Madrid.
It’s interesting to reflect that the turnaround in form coincided with the loan of Portuguese forward, Joao Felix to Chelsea, and it’s probably no coincidence that Atletico did much better without the talented, but incredibly intermittent striker, who seems constantly at odds with the coach’s work ethic.
Atletico is looking for a way to rid themselves of a player who has promised so much more than he has delivered since signing in 2019, and it’s unlikely he will play any part in their season.
The key player for Atletico last time around was Antoine Griezmann, who showed no signs of tiredness after the World Cup, appearing at times to be in several places of the pitch at the same time. Griezmann’s creativity and work-rate will again be vital to Atletico this season.
A look at the squad does raise questions over where the number of goals needed to win the title will come from. Alvaro Morata will also work hard and have chances, but it’s hard to see him scoring more than 15 goals in a season.
Angel Correa is another player, who will always chip in with vital goals, but neither the Argentinean nor Memphis Depay are 20-goal a season forwards and although Samuel Lino and Rodrigo Riquelme are back after successful loans with Valencia and Girona, they are more providers than finishers.
That means Simeone will once again rely on a solid defense and midfield organisation to keep their rivals from scoring. Cesar Azpilicueta has arrived on a free from Chelsea and will bring in a wealth of experience, while Caglar Soyuncu looked to be a rugged addition from Leicester City and Javi Galan is an upgrade at left back.
Stefan Savic, Mario Hermoso who had an excellent second half of last season and Jose Gimenez are still there and the club will look for a bit more from Rodrigo de Pau and Nahuel Molina, both of whom are World Cup winners.
So, on paper, Atletico looks once again as if they will be hard-working, tough to break down and with enough to score a goal a game, be it from a set piece or after a bit of magic from Griezmann, Correa or Yannick Carrasco.
With neither Real nor Barcelona looking appreciably stronger than last season, Atletico fans will be hoping that they can repeat their league triumphs of 2013-14 and 2020-21.
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