The transition of Atletico Madrid into one of Europe’s best sides in recent years under Diego Simeone has been nothing short of remarkable, with Atleti reaching two Champions League finals, unfortunately losing both, and winning the La Liga title in style two-years ago.
Now, Simeone’s side are given added expectation ahead of the forthcoming season and they will be looking to challenge for the league title, which Barcelona have dominated in each of the past two seasons, as well as pushing on in Europe as they chase an elusive Champions League crown.
Having kept the core of his squad intact, Simeone has the players available to compete for glory and the new faces he has brought in will certainly help to reach his ambitions.
Since joining the club in 2014, Jan Oblak has become one of the finest young goalkeepers in the world and has made the goalkeeping position at the Vicente Calderon his own. Behind a defensive line that boasts immense physical presence, Oblak’s goal is very difficult to breach and the Slovenian has done superbly to become a formidable last line of defence.
Ahead of him, Atletico’s defence features the perfect balance of experience and exciting quality at the heart of the back line, with Uruguayan veteran Diego Godin partnered by an incredible up-and-coming talent by the name of Jose Gimenez. At the age of just 21, Gimenez will reach 50 La Liga appearances for Atletico this term and already boasts a league title to his name.
On the flanks, Filipe Luis was immediately a hit back in Atletico last season following a year in the Premier League with Chelsea and Atletico have bolstered their ranks on the other side, signing 24-year-old Croatian right-back Sime Vrsaljko. With 76 appearances in the Serie A during spells with Genoa and Sassuolo, the young man can provide a wealth of experience despite his age.
In midfield, the balance between youth and experience continues. Captain Gabi, at the age of 33, boasts 171 La Liga appearances for Atletico and is a product of the club’s youth academy. Ahead of him, 24-year-old Koke is another player with a wealth of experience at a young age, as he’s set to his 200 La Liga appearances for Atletico this term, and the trio in the middle is completed by the exciting talents of Saul Niguez.
The 21-year-old became a household name in Europe last season after his stunning solo goal against Bayern Munich in the semi-finals and has also scored a bicycle kick in the Madrid derby. Having already accumulated close to 60 La Liga appearances, Saul has shown he’s definitely not out of his depth.
In attack, the line-up is spearheaded by Antoine Griezmann; a player who is expected to hit the 100 mark for goals in La Liga this season. He has excelled since emerging at Real Sociedad but it’s in the Spanish capital where he has developed into a world-class forward, who is crucial for club and country.
On one side, Griezmann is supported by Belgian international Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco who enjoyed a decent debut campaign in La Liga last term, making 29 appearances and scoring four goals. On the other flank, it’s a big signing for Atletico that completes a dream line-up in the form of Argentine ace Nicolas Gaitan.
The 28-year-old attracted a wealth of interest from Europe’s top-sides during his six-years in Portugal with Benfica but the winger was finally snapped-up last month by Atletico. Last season, he scored against Atletico in a rare defeat for Simeone’s side at the Vicente Calderon and he’ll be hoping for a solid maiden campaign in Spain.
A line-up that could go toe-to-toe with the finest sides in the world, Atletico are bolstered by their depth as they boast the likes of Fernando Torres, Juanfran and new-forward signing Kevin Gameiro, whilst the club’s prestigious academy will continue churning out talented youngsters that Simeone can utilise- with Angel Correa and Oliver Torres evidence of the ability the youth graduates provide.
The post Atletico Madrid tactics 2016/17: Simeone’s push for glory appeared first on Top Eleven's Football Blog.
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