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We’ve seen two sides to Atlético Madrid this season. When Bayern arrive in Spain for Tuesday’s Champions League encounter, they will face a team that is hot on the heels of Barcelona at the top of La Liga but is also yet to find their form on the European stage. Diego Simeone’s side also come into this Matchday 4 encounter on the back of a confidence-boosting 2-0 win at Levante at the weekend, while Bayern had to settle for a 2-2 draw at home to Borussia Dortmund.
Nine games unbeaten
Giuliano Simeone wrapped up Atlético’s 2-0 win at Levante on Saturday. | © Getty Images
Atlético are currently one of the form teams in Europe, going nine games unbeaten in all competitions (W8, D1) since a 2-1 defeat at Liverpool on 9 September. They have scored 18 goals and conceded only one in that run, but the one draw was against German opposition in VfB Stuttgart (1-1). The sequence of results started with a 3-0 victory at Real Sociedad and includes a 2-1 triumph at home to city rivals Real Madrid.
That was followed by wins over Alavés, Manchester United and Espanyol before the Stuttgart slip. Saturday’s victory at Levante was also historic for coach Simeone as he equalled Luis Aragonés’ record of 344 wins as a coach in La Liga. The Argentine has reached the total in 565 games, which is 192 quicker than his Atlético predecessor.
Defensively solid
Goalkeeper Jan Oblak has kept six clean sheets during this nine-game unbeaten run. The only goal Los Rojiblancos have conceded in the last five matches came from Stuttgart’s Jamie Leweling. They boast the best defence in La Liga with eight goals conceded from 11 games. Oblak is shielded by a back four of Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill, Dávid Hancko and Alejandro Grimaldo, plus every other outfield player who has to work hard for the team in Simeone’s system.
Indifferent start in Champions League
Jan Oblak has been a reliable figure in Atlético’s goal for over a decade. | © Getty Images
While Atlético are hot on the heels of Barcelona on the domestic front, their Champions League results have been mixed so far. They sit 16th in the league phase with only four points from three games, having opened with the 2-1 loss at Liverpool before beating Manchester United 2-0 at home. Last time out they came from behind to draw 1-1 in Stuttgart and survived the final half an hour with 10 men after Morten Hjulmand’s red card. “We didn’t start the game well and had to react a lot. My team fought their way into the game and equalised against a good Stuttgart side. The last 30 minutes were a real test of strength. Credit to my team for showing such determination,” said Simeone.
A Simeone team
Diego Simeone is always vocal and active in pushing his team on the touchline. | © Getty Images
What makes Atlético the team they are is simply that they know who they are. Simeone has shaped the club for the last 15 years, and that continuity can be seen on the pitch. He builds his team on a solid defensive foundation with two compact lines allowing opponents little space, with every player willing to get stuck in. Simeone is able to move between a 4-4-2 and a 5-3-2 setup, but the team doesn’t change how they want to play. And that means quickly getting forward in transition. The left side in particular is a danger, where Álex Baena has a team-leading five goals and Grimaldo – well known to Bayern from his years in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen – has scored four from left-back.
Follow all the build-up to the game in Madrid here:
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