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Atletico Madrid won the Europa League last year, after getting knocked out in the group stages of the Champions League. However, they have performed pretty well in league games and have finished La Liga in the second place. They have won 23 games, with 5 losses and 10 draws.
Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid plays brilliant football. Though it's mostly a defensive game, their counter-attacks are quite troublesome for the opposition. The front two of Diego Costa and Griezmann are probably the fiercest in all of Spain after the duo of Leo and Suarez.
Let's take a look at 4 reasons why Atletico Madrid have a great chance of winning the domestic double, and even UEFA Champions League, if they continue the form they are in. No doubt that their self-esteem must be pretty high after thrashing the reigning European champions with a scoreline of 4 goals to 2.
#4 Deadly Strikers
After signing a long-term deal with ATM, and giving an 'L' to Barca, the Frenchman looks motivated and determined to win trophies with Atletico. Griezmann is a striker with immense quality, and he really doesn't have a weak foot. He has scored some beautiful goals with his right foot and is improving in every aspect under Diego Simeone.
Diego Simeone had this to say about the French talisman:
"Antoine has improved in every area – fitness, tactical awareness, personality, aggression, intensity, ball recovery, attacking threat – and it's all his own doing."
Griezmann has scored a total of 140 goals in under 353 appearances in all domestic competitions, and he mostly prefers to play behind the striker. His awareness and intelligence on the pitch is a serious threat to any team, and this helps him to create for his teammates as well as score when he's having a chance.
Diego Costa, on the other hand, is a beast. His body strength is second to none, and he positions himself pretty well during set-pieces and corners. He is always a threat in the air and he probably is the only striker who the defenders are scared to face.
Diego to Atletico Madrid was a blessing in disguise for the Atletico fans and their squad. The Brazilian left Chelsea after reportedly having issues with former Chelsea manager Conte, who was also sacked by the end of the season. However, Diego Costa has performed at his best level for the Blues, scoring 53 goals and assisting 16 times in just three seasons (95 games) across all domestic competitions.
#3 Jan Oblak
One can argue that Jan Oblak is rated pretty high amongst other keepers because of the fact that his team has some very quality defenders, and also because they play a defensive game. Regardless of how fine his defenders are, the Slovenian keeper has never disappointed, giving extraordinary performances week in week out.
He has probably been the most consistent player for ATM since the last two seasons, and therefore the Atletico Madrid board has refused to sell him. Some English clubs, specifically Liverpool, Arsenal and even PSG were linked to Oblak, according to talkSPORT. However, Jan still has not signed a new contract with the Madrid based club yet, with his release clause of just €100 million, probably not the prohibitive figure it once was. All the three teams mentioned above have signed new goalkeepers, with Liverpool paying a whopping €75 million to sign the Brazilian international Allison.
But looking at Oblak's performances, it is quite unlikely that Atletico Madrid will let him leave. The Madrid club also convinced Griezmann to not join the Catalans, where he could have won a lot more trophies. This clearly means that Atletico Madrid means business this season. A domestic double for the Los Rojiblancos will be a dream start to their new era.
#2 Insane Attacking Depth
Atletico Madrid is looking out to win all the trophies available to them this year, with the UEFA Super Cup already in their pocket. Not only have they added more high-quality players to their squad, but they have also succeeded in holding on to their star players. The likes of Antoine Griezmann and Jan Oblak have refused to sign with other clubs and have decided to stay with their current employers, instead.
Atletico Madrid has got a very strong squad and they look imperious.
Barcelona has got a better squad and a bigger budget too, but it must be stupid to rule out ATM from any competitions. After Ronaldo left Real Madrid to join Juventus, the Los Blancos side looks pretty weak on the attacking options they have, and as a result, they lost against ATM in the UEFA Super Cup.
Atletico Madrid has got some quality players on the bench this year, and their attacking squad depth looks as good as Barcelona's.
It's clear that Diego Simeone will stick to his 4-4-2 defensive system, as it has shown results. Griezmann and Costa are the two strikers up front, with Gameiro and Vietto providing them with intense competition. Gameiro has scored 19 goals during his last two campaigns in La Liga, in 56 games. Not to forget that he comes on from the bench in the 60th and 70th minutes of the game in most of the games, and still provides with the intense attack needed.
Atletico has Koke and Lemar on the left wing, with Lemar also comfortable playing on the right. Saul and Koke will certainly start in ATM's opening game, as their first game is against Valencia and Atletico can't take them for granted. Valencia looks set to compete in the UCL and they have an improved side this season, with Batshuayi and Cheryshev coming in.
Looking at Atletico's bench this year, it's clear that they are at least making their way till the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, if not winning it.
#1 Reliable Defence
Unsurprisingly, Atletico's defence has been the best across Spain. They have just conceded 22 goals in a total of 38 league games, almost half of what Real Madrid conceded (44). Diego Simeone's tactical intelligence is superlative, and he has made Atletico's defence unbreakable. Their main man, Diego Godin, is a pillar of immense experience and dedication. Godin, along with Savic and Oblak is the reason why Atletico have won most of their league games with a scoreline of 1-0.
Godin's experience has tremendously helped the Los Rojiblancos side to maintain their defending form. Atleti plays a defensive format in almost every game, as that is Diego's primary tactic. However, his team never looks like that of Mourinho's as his side loves to counter-attack and press high up on the field. This strategy of his has paid off often, and this season, Atletico can do even better in terms of attacking style. The defence and goalkeeper remain the same from the previous shape, but instead of going straight to a midfield line of four, Thomas will take his place as a lone pivot.
However, Rodri started ahead of the Thomas in the UEFA Super Cup, and this is a bit worrisome for Ghana international. His starting position can be grabbed by the new signing Rodri Hernandez, who has impressed the fans in the pre-season and was a vital player for Villarreal last season.
Conclusion
Last year, Atletico have scored only 54 goals in 38 league games, with their goal difference being just 36. Their direct city rivals scored a thundering 94 goals, 5 less than that of Barcelona. This must be the reason why Atletico's board has focused on bringing in reinforcements for attacks, and they have done a good job in the transfer market.
Atletico Madrid look indestructible this year, and they are a threat to any team on their path to glory.
