Two Wins In Eight Matches – What Is Going On At Atlético Madrid

After last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at the hands of Real Betis, Atlético Madrid have recorded only two wins in their last eight matches in all competitions. So what is going wrong for Diego Simeone’s team? Read on to find out what their poor form is down to and how they can turn it around.

Pressure On Diego Simeone After Two Wins In Last Eight Outings For Atlético Madrid

How Have We Gotten Here?

There has been something quite ‘Wenger in his twilight years at Arsenal’ about Atlético Madrid’s last few seasons. Whilst it’s true that they won La Liga in 2021, there has been a pattern emerging since then – with a hint of underachieving and a whole lot of underperforming.

It would be quite unfair to berate any team for not winning anything when they belong in a league with Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. And it would be certainly unfair to criticise a team for not winning the Champions League when they have never won it before. But, the way that Diego Simeone has transformed this team into a European powerhouse, causes us to expect more of them. Not least because of the money they are now throwing at the endeavour.

Last term, they finished fourth – their lowest league position in a full season with Simeone at the helm. A summer of signing new players and getting rid of spare parts lead to incredible excitement among fans at the beginning of this campaign.

On the pitch, the start was acceptable. Three wins and two draws kept them up to speed with their La Liga rivals and a win at home to RB Leipzig started their Champions League run off on the right foot. There were goals (apart from a hiccup against Espanyol) and a feel-good buzz around the club. Defensively they were solid again – something that let them down so much last year. And most importantly to the fans, they had their badge back.

However, situations in football can change very quickly and it wasn’t long before doubt started to creep in. A 1-1 draw away to Rayo Vallecano then kicked off a sequence of games in which Atleti haven’t performed well at all. Just two wins have followed since that draw – one in the 90th minute away to RC Celta Vigo and one at home to CD Leganés.

What’s Going Wrong?

There are several factors that Atleti’s poor run can be attributed to, some on the field and some off the field as well. It even appears some of the off-field incidents have affected how the team is on the pitch.

Speaking strictly about football, Simeone looks to be unsure what his best eleven is, with countless different combinations in the back line, midfield and up top. Not only has personnel been inconsistent, but formation and system too. This has led to the players looking, at times, lost and unable to find an ‘out-ball’ when in possession.

When Atleti last won the league four seasons ago, they never wavered from the 3-5-2 formation and only changed players when their hand was forced. This allowed a sense of regularity and the players adapted to become more suited to an unfamiliar system. This time around, we have already seen a 3-5-2, a 4-3-3 and a 4-4-2 being used plus different variations when in and out of possession.

Of course, some of the personnel changes have been obligated and formations can change as a result. It’s only since the draw with Rayo that Atleti have had noticeable absences due to injury. The most important of those is Marcos Llorente. Before he went off in the first half of the 4-0 battering against SL Benfica, they hadn’t lost a match. Even from right-wing-back, he managed two goals, three assists and two man-of-the-match awards.

In the game before, Robin Le Normand suffered a brain injury after a clash of heads in the Madrid derby. He seemed to be the answer to all of Atlético’s defensive wishes, forming a great partnership with Jose María Giménez. Since his injury, ten goals have been conceded compared to the five beforehand.

But not everything has been to do with the players and manager. Following on from the incidents in the controversial Madrid Derby, the lower section of the south stand of Atlético’s stadium was closed for one game. In this part of the ground sit the ultras, the ‘Frente Atlético’. These fans were also denied tickets to the next five away matches as further punishment by their own club.

As it can be imagined, this didn’t go down well. In protest to how unfairly they feel to have been treated, the ultras decided to not chant or support them in their next home outing. At the start of the second half that day, they relinquished one protest chant of “We are Atleti” which was met with a chorus of boos from the rest of the 70,000 home fans in the stadium.

For Atlético Madrid to function, there must be a top-to-bottom alignment between the club, its fans, the ultras within those fans, the manager and the players. This precarious balancing act can easily start to topple if one of those pieces isn’t well in place. The visual representation of this is the performances and results being seen on the pitch of late.

Where Does It Go From Here?

Many have already ruled Los Colchoneros out of the title race, especially given how well Barcelona are doing. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Next up is a Copa del Rey fixture against a team that plays in the 6th tier of Spanish football. For context, Atlético’s B team plays in the third tier. A chance for confidence to be rebuilt in that one for sure.

After that, they have a run of winnable La Liga games all the way up until their match with Barcelona on December 22. If Simeone can whip his team into shape to take the expected points from those games, we could see a three-horse title race return for the new year.

To aid Los Rojiblancos on this quest, the returns of Llorente, Le Normand and Pablo Barrios are imminent. This would mean the shaky Nahuel Molina, the ageing Axel Witsel and the inconsistent Rodrigo de Paul would all lose their places. With any luck, consistency will return and a rhythm of play will emerge that allows Atleti to come unstuck from their current rut.

However, Simeone will need to use all of his coaching experience to turn this season around. There is only so long that fans can hold out before the importance of winning outweighs the sentiment and nostalgia.

Oliver Cores

Sports Writer specialising in Spanish Football. Oliver has followed Spanish football since a child supporting his family's teams, Atlético Madrid and Real Oviedo. He was based in Spain where he attended frequent La Liga and second division matches from which his love for writing came. Oliver has a background in tennis and has also previously written about the sport.