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Atletico Madrid travelled to the Iberostar Stadium on Wednesday to face RCD Mallorca in the LaLiga. Diego Simeone’s side had a blistering start to the new campaign but were without a win in any of their last 3 games. Following their 0-2 defeat away to Real Sociedad, Atletico Madrid managed a 2-2 draw against Juventus at home in the UEFA Champions League. Last weekend, Celta Vigo visited the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium and secured a 0-0 draw.
As such, Diego Simeone was desperate to get back to winning ways against Mallorca. The Argentine was still without Thomas Lemar and Sime Vrsaljko, both of whom are recovering from injuries. Alvaro Morata came off the bench against Celta Vigo and was available for selection. However, the Spaniard could only make the bench again.
Atletico Madrid Starting XI: Jan Oblak; Santiago Arias, Felipe, Stefan Savić, Renan Lodi; Koke, Thomas Partey, Saúl Ñíguez, Vitolo; Joao felix, Diego Costa.
As expected, Atletico started the game brighter and even took the lead through Diego Costa. The first half ended with Diego Simeone’s side leading 1-0. The visitors picked up the pace in the second half and doubled their lead through Joao Felix. The game ultimately ended 2-0 in Atletico Madrid’s favour.
Here are 5 men who were impressive for Atletico Madrid.
#5 Thomas Partey
The Ghanaian missed Atletico Madrid’s defeat at the hands of Real Sociedad as he was suffering from a hamstring injury, and after playing in both the Juventus and Celta Vigo game, Thomas Partey was selected in the starting eleven.
Partey went about his business silently all night, but his presence and work ethic ensured that the home side never gained control in the middle of the park. The Ghanaian closed down the opposition and was vital with his interceptions. He broke down their play and made quite a few crucial tackles on the pitch. Partey was very effective in his defensive role and helped his team win the game and secure a clean sheet.
#4 Koke
The Atletico Madrid captain is the engine room of Diego Simeone’s team, and he is the force that drives the team forward. Against Mallorca, Koke kept things simple in the middle and orchestrated a high press which enabled his team to stay in control in the game. The Spaniard was instrumental in winning the ball back in important positions in the opposition half and helped initiate counter-attacks throughout the game.
Koke was defensively committed in the middle, but it was his passing which once again caught the eye. The Spaniard was also effective with his crossing, picking up Diego Costa beautifully in the 26th minute to register an assist. He also brought the fullbacks into the game and encouraged them to drive at goal.
#3 Santiago Arias
The Colombian right-back made his first start of the season and his assured performance on the night must've given Kieran Trippier quite a few worries. Santiago Arias was strong at the back and eager to attack, and ultimately made defining contributions at both ends of the pitch. Arias started the game with greater emphasis on his defensive responsibilities but soon turned up the heat in the final third.
He found space to run into in the final third and was always available for a pass. Arias fed Vitoro at the edge of the box early in the first half, but the Spaniard failed to work the goalkeeper. The Colombian then created a chance for Joao Felix, which the latter could not take advantage of. Soon enough, Arias showed his shooting prowess, taking the ball from Diego Costa and hitting the upright.
#2 Joao Felix
The Portuguese sensation did not have the best of games by his standards, but it was still enough to cause the Mallorca defence a lot of problems. Joao Felix impressed with his movement and intent, even though the final outcome was missing in the first half.
Felix teamed up with Diego Costa and skipper Koke on quite a few occasions and even won a penalty which was eventually overturned by VAR. The opposition defence kept a close eye on him, which meant that the Portuguese was afforded very little time on the ball to impact the game. He did, however, force a good save from Reina in the dying minutes of the first half.
However, in the 64th minute, Felix had his moment of the game. After the home side failed to clear the ball from the box following an Atletico Madrid free-kick, the ball fell to the Portuguese, who attempted an outrageous left-footed volley. It took a cruel deflection and crept into the bottom left corner to double Atletico’s lead.
#1 Diego Costa
The Spaniard missed the first two games of the season due to suspension and a groin injury. However, Diego Costa made a goalscoring return to the Atletico Madrid team against SD Eibar, scoring his first goal of the season and helping his team win a hard-fought game. He could not get on the scoresheet in the last two games though, and his team failed to win both.
Starting alongside Joao Felix, Costa kept the opposition defence busy with his physical presence and gave his team the lead in the 26th minute. Following a Koke cross, the Spaniard rose the highest in the box and unleashed a powerful header into the right corner. However, Costa was not satisfied after scoring the goal and he combined well with Felix and Santiago Arias to give the opposition a harrowing time throughout the game.
