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While one team from Madrid have been slow in making their moves, the less decorated of the two, Atletico Madrid have had a great window so far. Apart from their signings, the core of the team, Koke, Saul, Godin, Jimenez and star forward and World cup winner, Griezmann has stayed put, making it a formidable squad with solid depth. The team is a good mixture of youth and experience, that is more than adequate to challenge for the La Liga title.
As they look to repeat their feat of 2013/14 when they were the champions of Spain, their chances will be boosted by the signings. They would like to go one better in the Champions League of the same season when they ended up being the beaten finalists.The fans would hope to see more exciting football at the Wanda Metropolitan under Simeone this season, given the quality, they have in their ranks now.
That being said, the talent and the depth they have this season, combined with the defensive strength they have, Atletico Madrid can dream of going for a treble. Keeping in view that Simeone will keep his gameplay the same, we will look at the team with 4-4-2 as the formation to be filled.
Goalkeeper: Jan Oblak
Before Liverpool's signing of Alisson, Oblak was the Alisson of this transfer season. Jan Oblak had been performing exceptionally well with the team. He kept most clean sheets in the league and was the cornerstone of the best defence in the Spanish league, conceding just 22 goals whilst keeping 19 clean sheets. Of course Simeone's formation and tactics are a factor in this defensive masterpiece, but Oblak's contribution has been commendable, attracting various clubs.
The Rojiblancos have signed Antonio Adan from Real Betis but only as a back up to the Slovenian. Adan kept 9 clean sheets last season with a fragile defense infront of him. Per foxsports, Oblak made 106 saves and Adan made 83 saves during last season.
Oblak is a hot property and was targetted by major clubs before the rise of Allison and Buffon's decision to join PSG. It would not be a surprise if Oblak is a target for Atleti's neighbors, Real Madrid, but it would be interesting to see whether Real will be willing to anger Atletico again by going after their player.
Defence: Juanfran, Gimenez, Godin, Hernandez
Right Back: Juanfran
Atleti have the perfect blend in all of their defensive roster, the perfect blend of age and experience. Starting form the right back, most of their games will be played by Juanfran and the newcomer, Santiago Arias.
Before Vrsaljko's loan, with an otion to buy, transfer to Inter Milan, he was the one with the most chances to start at the right back, given his praise-worthy effort with Croatia at this year's World Cup. After his departure, Atleti acted swiftly and grabbed Santiago Arias from PSV Eindhovan. The 26-year old Colombian was a first team player in Netherlands and also played 4 games in Russia this World Cup, but given his inexperience in the Liga Santander, his is unlikely to be chosen ahead of the experienced Juanfran.
The 32 year old is surely a veteran of the game but that does not mean he is not capable of being a first team starter. For those who doubt him must watch the videos of Madrid Derby at the Wanda Metropolitan last season when Juanfran beat Cristiano Ronaldo to the ball to deny him a one on one with the goalkeeper.
If Arias adapts to the conditions and style of play in Spain quickly, Juanfran might not remain the first choice right back come the end of this season, but he will surely start for Simeone in crucial and crunch games.
Centre Backs: Jose Gimenez, Diego Godin
Atletico Madrid's centre back pairing is exactly the same as that of Uruguay's. Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez were the reason why Uruguay went the World Cup group stage without conceding a goal, a group that had Mo Salah and the Russian attack which was on fire. The same pairing has been exceptional for Atleti for the past few seasons. Miranda was sold to Inter, after a league winning season, only because of Gimenez' phenomenal growth. He complements his senior partner, Godin, very well. Given that Godin is 32, he doesn't have the pace to cope with his opponents young legs that run all the time, instead, he has the tactical knowledge and the experience that helps him cover for lack of pace. He also makes up for any lack of experience that Gimenez shows, which is becoming rare day by day.
The Uruguayans will remain the first- choice centre backs but the next in line for that position isn't bad either. Stefan Savic has been reliable for Simeone and will look to make the starting XI given his experience and an ageing Godin. Lucas Hernandez can also play at the centre back but given his performance in the World Cup, there's another spot open for him in the starting XI.
Left Back: Lucas Hernandez
This position in the defence also has the blend of experience and youth. Filipe Luis and Lucas Hernandez are the two options available with Simeone at left back. Newcomer Jonny Castro was sent to Wolverhampton on loan upon his arrival from Celta, which leaves only these two in the contention for the starting XI.
Filipe Luis is also 32 and not looking to go down the lane just yet. He is still going strong and has been an important figure for the Rojiblancos defence. He will play a role in Simeone's XI but not as frequently as one would expect. Why? There's a World Champ in the squad for that place.
Lucas Hernandez won the World Cup with France this year and was phenomenal in the left back position. He initially joined as a centre-back but after his performances for Atleti, he is likely to play at the left back and will probably start ahead of Fillipe Luis in the starting XI.
Midfield: Correa, Saul, Koke, Lemar
The summer market of this season will be remember as one of the best in the history of Atleltico Madrid. They've used this transfer market not only to decrease their team's average age but also increase the quality at the disposal of their manager. The importance of the bench in a league is unquestionable. Real Madrid won the league a season ago with their first and reserve team's incredibly good quality. Their so called B-team included the likes of Asensio, Lucas Vasquez and Isco, which was good enough to see off the lower and lower-mid table teams.
Seemingly, Atleti want to challenge for the title on the same basis this season. They let go of players like Gabi, Fernando Torres and brought in the likes of Rodri, Gelson Martins and France's World Cup winning team-member, Thomas Lemar.
Gelson Martins is talented and has the potential to become a great player in every sense. He has the attributes to shine in the La Liga, but he will be used more on the bench during the first half of the season. If he gets going during that time, he will be used more often in the second half of the season. While Martins provides support on the wings, Rodri will play that supporting role in the midfield. The 22-year old Spanish, defensive midfielder, has been signed from Villareal this season and is a proven quantity. He is a like for like change in the defensive void that is left by the departure of Gabi, and is younger than him. His importance and game time will improve during the course of the season but he will start on the bench for the initial games.
Thomas Lemar is a proven world class player. He was linked with a host of clubs like Arsenal and Liverpool before making a move to the Wanda Metropolitan this summer. He states influence by Griezmann and Lucas Hernandez as the reason behind his decision and playing with his national team mates will improve his game and his understanding with both of them. While Lemar can also play in the centre of the midfield, he also tends to move on the outside of the midfield four to adjust with the situation of the game. He is likely to be a starter in Simeone's team this term given his immense hard work and sheer desire to play the game for the team.
Koke and Saul are the upcoming midfield duo of the Spanish National Team and are likely to start at the centre of the midfield. Although their role in the national team in this year's World Cup was minimal, it will definitely increase, come the 2022 World Cup. Their game has improved under the Simeone and they will likely make the starting line up this season.
Forwards: Griezmann, Costa
Diego Costa had a good World Cup in terms of his personal performances. His record with the National team was not upto the standards that he had set with Atletico Madrid, that even attracted Chelsea for his signature. If his 2014 World Cup was something to go by, he wouldn't even be in the final-23 of the team. But to everyone's surprise, his 2018 World Cup started with a bang. He scored the 1st and the 2nd goal to equalize against Portugal in their opener and also scored the sole goal of the match against Iran. His form with the National team was great and he will hope to continue to do so with his club. Simeone will start him this season and he will be vital in their pursues this season.
Antoine Griezmann is a Ballon D'Or contender this season, a very serious one. He helped his club to a Euro League and his country to a World Cup. Griezmann has been quintessential to his teams' win this season. He played as the supporter to his main striker in both the teams, Diego Costa at the club and Giroud for the country. Griezmann will play the same role this season but this season, he will start as a World Cup winner.
