Not even the most pessimistic of Atlético Madrid fans expected Diego Simeone's side to start their LaLiga season with three games without a win, falling a long way behind Real Madrid and potentially also trailing Barcelona with only nine points having been played for. On matchday three, Atleti drew 1-1 away to Alavés and repeated the same pattern as in previous games.
It only took seven minutes for Atleti to open the scoring when Giuliano Simeone recovered a loose ball in midfield and took advantage of a mix-up in the penalty area to score a beautiful left-footed goal, which was validated by the VAR. However, shortly afterwards, in the 12th minute, Sorloth gave away a penalty to Tenaglia and Carlos Vicente beat goalkeeper Oblak.
So the same scenario as in previous games was played out again, with Atlético Madrid pressing hard for the rest of the first half, but the attacking volume failed to turn into new goals, and the repertoire of moves was once again very much based on Giuliano Simeone's various crosses into the area.
After a scare in the stands marked the start of the second half, Atleti's pressure continued for the next few minutes and Sorloth had a great chance to score with a header, but Silvera made a great save. Griezmann also had the chance that every center-forward asks for to score, but he ended up hitting the post with an attempt, and Atleti couldn't win again.
Atlético Madrid can't just think about fighting for the title
With only two points out of a possible nine, Atlético Madrid can probably rethink their season and start recalculating their objectives in LaLiga, thinking more about finishing in the top four to qualify for the next Champions League. In this way, the fans will be less frustrated, considering that this team is unlikely to be in a real position to fight for the LaLiga title with the current coaching staff.