La Liga 2019-20: Atletico Madrid's ideal lineup this season

#2 Midfielders

Saul and Koke could be the heart of this midfield

Having let go of the lynchpin of their midfield, Rodri, for a handsome fee, Atletico went to their neighbours and brought in Marcos Llorente. He's more or less a reasonable replacement, except perhaps lacking in his passing. Nonetheless, he will start most games and share responsibilities with Thomas who rose to prominence towards the end of last season for Atletico.

Saul Niguez seems his most likely partner in midfield, although, it would mean that Koke would play on the left wing and freeing up the right wing position for Joao Felix.

Simeone seems loath to leave either Saul or Koke out of his starting XI, probably a safe call, as they're among the players who embody his spirit on the pitch. So much so, that he's tried out a Saul-Koke midfield pairing, which works well enough but lacks a bit of balance, especially in big games. Both are fair tacklers but Llorente would be a better fit in terms of reading danger and defensive positioning.

Hector Herrera is another option in the middle, having brought all his experience and guile over from Porto, Simeone may rely on him to fill gaps as he previously did with Gabi.

If Saul and Koke do indeed start in central positions, Thomas Lemar becomes the obvious starter on the left flank. Although the right flank will most likely be Joao Felix's starting position, Simeone could also play him up top along with a partner, which could see the versatile Koke or Vitolo play on the right.