How Atletico Madrid Emerged as Europe's Most In-Form Team

Atletico Madrid’s 1-0 loss to Real Betis on October 27 marked their first La Liga defeat of the season, and it seemed as though Diego Simeone’s side was on the verge of collapse. Despite a high-profile summer spending spree, the Rojiblancos were sitting in fourth place, a staggering 10 points behind league leaders Barcelona.

Fast forward less than two months, and Atletico now trail the Blaugrana only on goal difference, with a game in hand. If they can defeat their Catalan rivals at Montjuic on Saturday, they will head into the winter break at the top of the table.

So, how have Atletico turned things around? How has Simeone transformed what appeared to be the end of his reign into a golden opportunity to secure his third title in a 13-year tenure?

Barca's baffling implosion

Atletico Madrid’s rise to the top has certainly been helped by Barcelona's unexpected slump. Barca began the season in sensational form, winning 11 of their first 12 league matches and opening up a nine-point lead over Real Madrid, whom they had thrashed 4-0 in the season's first Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu on October 26.

However, since then, Hansi Flick's side has won just one match and lost three of their last six, allowing Atletico to catch up and Real to close within a point. These losses have been particularly damaging, as two of them came at home to Las Palmas and Leganes, teams sitting in 14th and 15th place respectively.

No one predicted Barca’s downfall, especially as it coincided with the return of several key players from injury. At one point, concerns had been raised about their over-reliance on Lamine Yamal, but his return to full fitness didn’t stop the decline.

What makes Barca’s form even harder to understand is that they are still excelling in the Champions League, having recently secured a thrilling 3-2 win over Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park.

At times, they’ve appeared complacent—Pedri admitted they "started off a bit asleep" against Leganes—and Flick has criticized his team for a lack of fight in certain games. It’s also clear that their once-impregnable high pressing and defensive line are not functioning as they did earlier in the season, with Flick remarking that "some players are disconnected." The coach has also faced criticism for his substitutions, which seem pre-planned rather than reactive, and his frustrations boiled over when he was suspended for lashing out at the referee in the 2-2 draw with Betis.

While the reasons behind Barcelona’s struggles may be complex, one thing is clear: they will not be looking forward to facing the team currently in the best form in Europe, especially with Yamal sidelined once again by an ankle injury.

Showing City what they're missing

Atletico Madrid made a number of high-profile signings during the summer, but none were as significant as Julian Alvarez. The Rojiblancos secured a €95 million (£82m/$104m) deal with Manchester City for the World Cup winner.

Pep Guardiola was clearly unhappy to lose Alvarez, but it’s easy to see why City accepted the offer; it was simply too good to pass up. Now, however, the English champions are starting to regret the decision, while Atletico fans are beginning to believe that Alvarez could justify such a hefty transfer fee.

The Argentina international faced some scrutiny in the early part of the season. Atletico drew four of their first nine La Liga matches, with Alvarez only scoring in three of those. However, he has found his rhythm in recent months, with his improvement coinciding with Atletico’s remarkable run of 11 consecutive wins in all competitions. In fact, eight of Alvarez’s 12 goals this season have come since Atletico’s last loss to Betis.

"He just needed time," Simeone told DAZN. "He has developed in terms of his ability to interpret and understand how Atletico plays. He comes from a very different style in Argentina, and also a completely different approach at City, so he needed to adjust. But now, all of his attributes are proving to be very beneficial for our team."

Evergreen Griezmann

Alvarez has greatly benefited from playing alongside Antoine Griezmann. Though 33 years old, the Frenchman remains an exceptional talent, an all-around player who enhances the performance of those around him.

Griezmann is also reaping the rewards of his decision to retire from international football, as he is currently in the midst of one of the most prolific stretches of his career, scoring seven goals in his last six matches.

 Antoine Griezmann: pure class. 

Even the Real Valladolid fans applauded this goal.

pic.twitter.com/S7mH0Eg6Ja

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) December 5, 2024

Two of those goals came in the final 30 minutes of a dramatic 4-3 win over Sevilla, where Atleti came from 3-2 down to secure victory, capped by a brilliant 94th-minute winner that showcased Griezmann’s trademark creativity and impeccable first touch.

“We all know the quality Antoine has,” Alvarez recently said. “With everything he’s given to this club and to football in general, it’s a pleasure to play alongside him.”

De Paul finally delivering

Simeone’s best Atleti teams were known for their defensive solidity, but in recent years, there’s been a clear shift towards a more expansive, attacking style. While striking the right balance hasn't been easy, the Rojiblancos seem to be making progress.

Early in the season, there were some disappointing performances, notably in the humiliating 4-0 Champions League defeat to Benfica in Lisbon, where goalkeeper Jan Oblak candidly admitted to UEFA's official site, "We were beaten 4-0, but it could have been more!" However, in the last couple of months, Atleti have shown their trademark resilience and determination.

Rodrigo De Paul has played a pivotal role in this turnaround, forming a strong midfield partnership with 21-year-old Pablo Barrios, whose impressive form earned him a call-up to the Spanish national team last month.

De Paul has always had the potential to be world-class, but consistency has been an issue in the past.

“We’ve always known his quality,” Simeone said after the 6-0 win over Slovan Bratislava. “He’s shown his quality with Argentina, but with Atleti, there have been good moments and others where he could improve.

“However, in recent times, we’re seeing more consistency from him. He’s a tremendously important player for us because he sees things differently. He works hard but also has that final ball that very few players can provide. He can also score goals with his clean striking ability.”

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Real strength in depth

Atleti are undoubtedly benefitting from the protection provided by De Paul and Barrios in midfield, but Jose Gimenez also deserves considerable praise for his performances this season.

Like De Paul, Gimenez has struggled to reach his full potential, with injuries playing a significant role in the Uruguayan center-back’s inability to establish himself as a consistent star. In his 11 years at the Metropolitano, he’s never played more than 28 La Liga games in a single campaign. However, this season, Gimenez has been injury-free, which has been crucial for Atleti, especially since summer signing Robin Le Normand has only recently returned from a two-month absence due to a serious head injury.

It’s also worth noting that Barcelona loanee Clement Lenglet has stepped up admirably, filling in for the Euro 2024 winner, surpassing expectations. The emergence of fringe players throughout the season has been a key factor in Atleti’s success, highlighting the squad’s depth.

Alexander Sorloth and Angel Correa have taken some of the burden off Alvarez and Griezmann by contributing vital goals, while Giuliano Simeone has made significant impacts off the bench, no matter where his father, the coach, has deployed him.

Meanwhile, former Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher has been rotating in and out of the starting lineup but has consistently shown his work ethic. Marcos Llorente, despite frequently being asked to play different roles, still appears content with his contributions.

As Alvarez noted about Atleti’s winning streak, "We’ve been playing really well because the team as a whole is performing excellently. Everyone, even those coming off the bench, contribute." The credit for this collective mindset clearly goes to the manager.

Unrivalled passion

It's clear why players are willing to do whatever Simeone asks of them. He is a truly inspirational figure, deeply connected to Atletico and able to feel the pulse of football in a way few other coaches can.

After Atletico's dramatic comeback win over Alaves on November 23, amid rumors that this might be his final season in Madrid, Simeone became visibly emotional.

"I just live in the now," he said in an interview with DAZN. "It’s a good moment, the boys are working well, taking on a lot of responsibility, and delivering what we want and need."

He paused, overcome with emotion. "So, I'm at peace. I’m in a place that... I love very much – and that’s it. Goodbye."

Since then, nothing has happened to suggest Simeone will leave at the end of the season. In fact, Atletico's current form only makes such an exit seem even more unlikely.

Atleti president Enrique Cerezo publicly showed his support for Simeone during tough weeks in October, so it's hard to see why he would now consider alternatives. As Pablo Barrios said, "I can't imagine a better coach for Atletico Madrid." And with Simeone's revitalized team, it’s hard to imagine a worse time for Barcelona to face them at the moment.