It has been a steady decline for Atlético Madrid under Diego Simeone ever since the turn of 2021. Los Colchoneros were on course to lift their second La Liga title of the Argentine’s reign and held a ten-point lead at the top of the table in January.
By the end of the season, Atlético did lift the crown, but it took until the final day to seal the victory, overcoming a one-goal deficit against Real Valladolid and making it incredibly hard for themselves.
Captain Koke admitted that Atlético Madrid are destined to suffer which was possibly the best way to summarise the side limping to glory. However, it did feel as though if the league lasted another week or two, there would have been different victors.
This rather inconsistent vein of form carried over into the next season. Atlético finished 15 points behind eventual champions Real Madrid and were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
This season, things got off to a rather worrying start to the campaign. Simeone’s dogged side could barely string consecutive wins together and had even been knocked out of a relatively comfortable Champions League group, finishing bottom, leading many to believe things had gone stale under the long-term manager and that it was time for a change.
After a narrow defeat to Barcelona at the start of January, Atlético Madrid sat fifth but were just two points above Athletic Club in seventh who had a game in hand.
But, in fact, this was the team’s last defeat in La Liga, having won six of their last nine, drawing thrice, including a 1-1 tie in the Madrid Derby away from home. The Mattress Makers have conceded merely four goals in those nine matches too, scoring 16 and moving up to third. Atlético are starting to look like the determined warriors of old.
This tactical analysis piece will be a scout report of Atlético’s much-improved form over the past two months and will be an analysis of Simeone’s tweaked tactics at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Lower defensive line
Ever since their most recent title-winning season, Atlético Madrid have moved away from a team that solely deploys a 4-4-2.
The 4-4-2 became synonymous with Simeone and his side almost in the same way that the 4-3-3 has been married to Pep Guardiola. Neither invented the formations but both have been espoused with their preferred shapes. When you think 4-4-2, there is a good chance that the Atléti coach springs to mind.
However, since 2020, Simeone began implementing a little more structural flexibility into his side, starting with the consistent introduction of using a 3-5-2. During Atlético Madrid’s title-winning campaign two years ago, the 3-5-2 was used more than the 4-4-2.
Still to this day, that tactical unpredictability is evident with Los Colchoneros.
The 3-5-2/5-3-2 has been deployed in 37 percent of the team’s matches, although the 4-4-2 is still close behind at 26 percent usage.
But what’s also noticeable from the graphic above is how many different shapes Simeone has experimented with this season. It’s not just a case of him choosing between the 3-5-2 and the 4-4-2. Atlético can line up in any formation.
