Following a league-leading sixth draw of the season, this time in a cagey affair against Sevilla, Atlético Madrid have failed to capitalize on poor starts from Barcelona and Real Madrid.
While Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid looked to have turned a corner following their 7-3 win over Real Madrid in pre-season after a summer of transition, the capital club’s frustrating start to La Liga has hurt their chances for their first title since 2014.
The team appears caught between two identities; while Atleti have been clear in their desire to play a more expansive game through outlets such as João Félix, Kieran Trippier, and Thomas Lemar, they seem to always fall back into the safety net of an ultra-defensive luchador style of football characteristic of Simeone teams.
The result has been just 12 goals through 12 league games, the second-worst mark of any side in the top half of the table. A quick look at the standings would suggest that Los Colchoneros are in a fine position, just one point off Barcelona and Real, although both have a game in hand.
However, Atleti’s failure to capitalize on poor starts from the two El Clásico rivals makes it difficult to imagine a true title challenge. The perfect example came on Saturday, as Barcelona suffered a shock 3-1 defeat away to Levante and Real were held 0-0 by Betis as Atlético failed to convert several chances and dropped points at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán.
While Félix has missed significant time through injury, the issue feels more systematic. Simeone’s ability to organize a defense must be heralded, as Mario Hermoso and Felipe Montero have both looked like perfect fits in the Rojiblanco backline, but this team is not committed to scoring goals.
Both Real and Barça can expect a stark improvement moving forward due to the quality in their sides, but Atleti could face a massive challenge to stay in the title race. Poor results against Celta Vigo, Valladolid, and Alavés show that this team seriously struggle against inferior opposition that defend in numbers, something that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon.
Other teams have made the most of the opportunity presented by a run of poor form from the traditional top sides, however. Real Sociedad and Sevilla both threaten Atlético’s traditional position in the top three, and even newly promoted Granada has sat top of the league for the first time since 1973.
With teams such as Valencia expected to also improve and contend for the top four, Los Rojiblancos must recover their goalscoring form and return to winning ways. The glass-half-full way to view the situation is that while Atleti have been poor, their title rivals’ own struggles have left them in contention. Nonetheless, 2019/20 will represent a massive season for the club’s direction, and this early season blip could prove to be a pivotal moment in determining whether or not Atleti will be in the title race or clawing to remain in the Champions League places.