Atletico Madrid have boosted their chances of European glory with a revitalised attacking threat, posing a major threat to any team in their way. Diego Simeone’s men have gone without silverware for five years, but have found the ability to score goals and stay consistent in European’s most profound tournament, the Champions League. Atlético are starting to become the underdogs of this year’s tournament. Having reached the semi-finals after an impressive two-legged display against rivals Barcelona.
European Pedigree
Atletico are one of the few top teams in world football, along with Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and AS Roma, to have never won the Champions League. The Spanish side has only ever achieved the Europa League back in 2010, 2012 and 2018. Despite this, they have always been a staple among Europe’s elites. Beating European powerhouses and even reaching the final six times, but falling at the last hurdle each time.
In this year’s competition, Atleti finished 14th in the league phase, beating the likes of Inter Milan and Frankfurt but suffering a heavy 4-0 loss to Arsenal. They faced Club Brugge in the play-off round winning 7-4 on aggregate across the two legs.
Atletico then faced a severely out-of-form Spurs side in the round of 16, and due to a flurry of first-half mistakes from the English side, Atelti won on the night 5-2 and won 7-5 across the two legs, sending them into the quarter finals against Spanish Rivals, Barcelona.
14 year drought
Simeone’s longevity at the club is one for the ages, but across his 14-year spell at Atletico, the Argentine has never managed to beat Spanish giants Barcelona at the infamous Camp Nou. This was until their quarter final Champions League tie…
Atletico had already beaten Barca in the Copa Del Rey semi-final 4-3 on aggregate, including a 4-0 thrashing at the Metropolitano in the first leg, to secure them a spot in the final against Real Sociedad.
They recently met again at the Camp Nou in the quarter-final of the Champions League, and for the first time under Simeone’s tenure, Atleti beat 10-man Barcelona away from home 2-0 courtesy of a stunning free kick by Juilian Alvarez and substitute Alexander Sorloth.
This gives Atleti a two-goal advantage in their own backyard, giving them a bigger boost than ever to progress into the last four of the competition.
The eagerness around the second leg was set in stone after comments from Lamine Yamal and social media actions from his Barcelona teammates, hinting at the fact that they will give their all to turn the tie around.
Atletico were under pressure early with a Yamal goal inside five minutes and Fermin Lopez levelled up the tie inside 30 minutes to really stun the Metropolitano.
Despite this, January signing Ademola Lookman put Atleti back in front on aggregate to make it 3-2 towards the end of the first half. A goalless second half, along with Barcelona going down to 10 men, just like they did in the first leg, meant Atleti booked themselves a place in the semi-finals.
Awaiting them in the last four will be Arsenal, after their quarter-final win against Sporting. Atletico met Arsenal in the Europa League semi-final in 2018, with Atletico being victorious 2-1 on aggregate and going on to win the entire competition. The Gunners are one of the favourites in the competition this season and have already beaten Atletico 4-0 in the league phase. However, Simeone’s men will not reminisce on the past and will see the slight lack in form from the English side and will look to take them one step further to the ultimate dream.
Attacking Threat
Atletico have transformed their side over the past few seasons, mainly focusing on upgrading their attacking force.
Antoine Griezmann has been a staple for Simeone’s side playing in the 10 role for 10 seasons in red, white and blue colours. The Frenchman will be leaving at the end of the season to join Major League Soccer side Orlando City. His versatile play-style has seen him play across all positions along the front line netting 142 goals for the club and being recognised as one of the best attacking players in recent times.
Alongside him is the recent January window signing, Ademola Lookman. The Nigerian winger and previous African player of the year has started his life in Madrid tremendously, scoring on his debut in a 5-0 thrashing vs Betis and having 9 G/A in just three months at the club. His pace and directness are key to his game, and is something that Atletico’s attack has been lacking for some time.
World Cup winner, Julian Alvarez, has been part of Simeone’s men for the past two seasons, netting 47 goals in 102 games for Atletico, and has become their starting striker and star man in providing the team with goals and opportunities. He has scored many crucial goals for the club, including his free kick against Barcelona recently in the Champions League. The Argentine made the move from Manchester City to Atletico due to lack of playing time and henceforth playing nearly every game for Ateltico.
His backup is Norweigan striker Alexander Sorloth, who is becoming a staple striker in La Liga, making the move from Villareal in the summer of 2024. He has netted 41 goals for the club and is starting to have a knack of scoring off the bench.
Simeone’s Farewell?
Simeone’s tenure at the club has had its highs and its lows, from winning the Europa League in 2018 and winning La Liga in 2021, to losing the 2016 Champions League final against local rivals Real Madrid in cruel fashion on penalties.
His tenure at the club has been undermined since it began in 2011. Often finding themselves cast in the shadow of Barcelona and Real Madrid. For the majority of his time there, but the Argentine has won silverware at the club and built a philosophy around the club and solidified his style of play into the roots of the club.
His defence-driven play style, which is centred around organisation and solidity, with the idea of mounted pressure on opponents to create quick counter-attacking situations, has made him a manager like no other. The style of play is described as brutal, mentally challenging and intense, with teams and coaches having to think outside the box to break down Simeone’s hardcore defensive tactics. These tactics have made Atletico a nightmare to attack against and cautious to defend their fast-breaking counterattacks.
With his contract expiring in June 2027, the question remains whether Simeone will extend his contract at Atletico, whether he will stick out his contract or if he leaves this summer.
If the Argentine decides to call it quits with Atletico this season, there is the chance that he goes out with a potential two trophies in the Copa Del Rey and the big Champions League trophy, that Atleti fans, himself and the players can only dream of holding in their hands.
Will Simeone and Atletico finally get their one wish? Or will this be another season be seen as a missed opportunity to make a bigger name for themselves and put themselves fully at the top with Europe’s elites?
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