Atlético is missing. Against Levante he added a new defeat that complicates his current aspirations, reduced from fighting to retain the League title to getting into the Champions positions. But, to be among the top four, You have to grow a lot compared to the version shown against the bottom team.
And when they are badly given, everything fails. The defense is leaking, scoring against Oblak has never been so easy and Atlético finished the game against Levante without causing any save de Cárdenas, to become the first local team not to score against the Granotas. And one of the great mattress slumps of the course has occurred in the center of the field. The engine room has short-circuited and it gives the feeling of being overtaken game after game, something that increases insecurity at the back and reduces the chances of having chances up front.
Without anyone who generates football, who asks for the ball and takes over the rhythm of the games, Atlético’s midfield suffers under any pressure moderately intense, he is not able to steal and raise lines to bother the opponent’s exit nor does he speed up the game with the combination. Koke, the most important footballer of the team in that function, not going through a good seasonit is costing him to break lines, to be able to look forward with the ball, step on the rival area and show his vision of the game in the final meters. Its qualities have been reduced and weaknesses are enhanced, suffering a lot at top speed when rivals face him with spaces.
And if De Paul was the great signing of the summer to add troops in the middle, the Argentine does not look like his version with the national team. Neither steals, nor moves the team with the ball nor intervenes with consistency in the game. Very far from that MVP footballer in the Copa América final. In addition, he will be absent against Osasuna due to suspension. In that return to 4-4-2, the double pivot has become almost invisible, betting on long balls from Oblak to try to reach the rival area and looking for comebacks from the imbalance on the bands with Carrasco, Lemar or Correa doing damage with their individual quality. Kondogbia has been Simeone’s alternative to try to put muscle and strength when stealing balls, but the Central African needs someone by his side who generates football. He is capable of covering a lot of the field, but then he is not in charge of accelerating the game, since his qualities are not those.
blacksmith contract ends in June and for the moment practically has been reduced to the last minutes of the matches with the result against. And Llorente, a player who brings a lot of energy and strength, something key to being able to steal higher up, he has been forced to play at right back since Trippier left. Wass, who also gave another option to the center of the field, was the one destined to occupy that flank in defense, so Llorente could once again shine closer to the rival area, but in his debut he suffered a grade II knee sprain which has left him out of action for a few weeks.
In the match against Levante, Koke could barely complete 15 passes in the rival field and De Paul 21, both in 65 minutes. Kondogbia, with 28, was the Atlético player who could combine the most in the Granota field, few numbers at home against the bottom team (Martín Cáceres, central Levante, gave 20 passes in the field of Atleti). Faced with a medium that does not build, the problems of the rest of the team are amplified. João Félix’s entry gave some clarity going down to receive almost in his own field and the relocation of Llorente in the middle with Vrsaljko on the side allowed the ’14’ to be able to participate in the zone that he likes the most. Atlético needs a step forward in their midfield, more energy in recovery, clarity in creation and impetus to steal and create football. Simeone can’t find the key or the system, but a good part of the rojiblanca improvement will happen by becoming strong in a machine room that is going through its lowest hours.