Pablo Barrios 2022/23: Atlético Madrid’s wonderkid learning his trade under Fernando Torres and Diego Simeone – scout report

Atlético Madrids newest shining star, Pablo Barrios, has made it to the first squad. After a long streak of talent discovery, Atlético has found a gem. Atlético Madrid, unlike Barcelona, has spent so many years at the top of Spanish soccer despite never being the team to discover a star player from its academy.

Pablo Barrios, at 19 years old and 136 days old, made headlines on October 29, 2022, when he played 162 minutes in his teams competitive debut against Cádiz. He has started four of their 16 games and has only been used as a substitute twice. He has shown up in times of crisis and served as a unifying force for the squad. Barrios is a youth international who has played for Spain at the U19 level.

From playing under Fernando Torres to cracking Diego Simeones starting eleven, this scout report covers it all. In this tactical analysis, well assess his abilities and forecast how much of an impact he can have on the game hes playing in.

Player profile

Barrios is a brilliant midfielder who is fundamentally oriented on producing offensive plays. As a Spaniard, a midfielder has no justification for making mistakes. To put it simply, things are the way they are. The former Real Madrid star has been blowing away Diego Simeone and Atletico Bs coach Fernando Torres recently.

Barrios, Atlético Madrids 19-year-old offensive midfielder, is quickly rising to prominence. The teenage forward has started the last five games for Atleti and scored in their Copa del Rey match against Real Oviedo.

Barrios played youth soccer with Moratalaz before moving on to Real Madrids academy and eventually signing for Atlético Madrid in 2017. After making his way through the Atlético Madrid youth system, he began his professional career with the reserve squad in January 2022. He signed his first professional contract with the team on March 3, 2022, and it runs until 2025.

After playing 64 minutes in Atlético Madrids 1-0 loss to Barcelona on January 8, Barrios hasnt seen the field since. His record currently includes one caution. With 28 points, Atlético is currently in fourth position in La Liga and will host Valladolid on January 21.

After just 12 league appearances and a single goal for Atlético Madrid II, Barrios was promoted to the main squad in July 2022. Its quite a jump considering he didnt play a single minute for Atlético Madrid in the Primera División the previous season.

Exquisite playmaking

His style of play is reminiscent of a Spanish midfielder, Pablo Gavi, a rising star for Barcelona. The midfielder consistently moves the ball into the attacking third and contributes to the teams success.

Barrios takes on the role of lone pivot during the match against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Youth League. Within the specified three, he makes his move below.

He anticipates his opponents moves, giving him the upper hand while he formulates a plot to evade the press. Hes quite difficult to dispossess because of his on-ball skills and his ability to use feints to throw off the press.

He moves from the left to the right side of the field early in the game to participate in the combo plays. As can be seen in the picture below, he crosses the field in search of a gap between the three highlighted opponents.