Atlético Madrid returned from the international break to host Osasuna, with the opportunity to ease themselves into a tricky month of fixtures to come. As we all know though, ease is a word that is rarely associated with Atleti.
It was a fairly straightforward game on paper. The visitors were winless away from home so far this season and had scored just once on their travels. The Rojiblancos, on the other hand, have been near-perfect at home and yet to drop points at the Metropolitano since the draw against Elche.
So, of course, Saturday night’s match ended in a tense 1-0 victory, with a magnificent Jan Oblak save at the death sealing the three points for the home side. What else did we expect?
Difficult though it may have been, this victory means Atleti now have 13 points from a potential 15 at home. It has also pushed the side within three points of Real Madrid, who have a game in hand against Getafe on Sunday, and within six of leaders Barcelona. El Clásico comes next weekend; that puts Diego Simeone’s side in prime position to capitalize on any dropped points.
That is, if they do not drop points themselves at Real Betis next Monday.
As good as Atlético have been at home, that’s how abysmal the Rojiblancos’ record is away: just three points from a possible 12, having played largely-beatable opposition. Espanyol sit in 6th after a great start but Alavés are sat in 10th, while Mallorca and Celta Vigo are hovering over the relegation zone.
In fact, even before the Betis trip, Atlético have to travel to London first to face Arsenal in the Champions League. Atleti already lost at fellow Premier League side Liverpool in this competition and will need points in this fixture to solidify their place far away from the playoff round.
The over-reliance on home form this season puts this side in an uncomfortable position. Atlético are going to need to replicate this as best they can away from the Metropolitano, else the mood around the camp could be very different as early as next week.
You would hope that, having spent heavily in the summer, your star cast would feature heavily at the start of a new season. Such fortunes have deserted Atleti thus far — but we seem to finally be back on track.
Álex Baena started his first game in two months and had the ball in the net in the first half, only for it to be ruled — quite controversially — offside. Thiago Almada replaced him around the hour mark for his first minutes in six weeks, and there was no ruling out his goal that sealed the three points.
Atlético had felt keenly the absences of both players. Their return instantly gave Atleti a range of options in attack. That ultimately was the difference on a day where the side looked sluggish after a great start and could have faded away, dropping more points had Raúl García found a little more daylight beyond Jan Oblak’s right foot.
But the biggest and most important return of the day was that of José María Giménez. The Uruguayan center-back played his first minutes of the season, and just how good did he look? Back from injury and straight into the starting lineup due to Clément Lenglet’s suspension, Josema provided that much-needed stability — and leadership — that Atleti have needed at the back. It was in large part due to him, as well as Oblak’s sublime save, that the Rojiblancos registered their first clean sheet in over a month.
If for any reason there was still doubt over Lenglet’s place in the starting lineup, this performance should end that discussion. May Josema continue to stay fit and command the backline for the rest of the season.
This must be a turning point
Grinding out crucial results always has been in Atlético’s DNA under Diego Simeone, but a quality that hasn’t really come to the forefront amid the disappointing results thus far. The gap to the top is a direct reflection of the Colchoneros’ polarity – Barcelona have dropped points only twice, and Real Madrid just once compared to Atleti’s five through nine weeks.
The month ahead presents a perfect opportunity for the Rojiblancos to leave their inconsistency behind. With five more games until the November FIFA break — including three in a row at home to start November — this is the time to stack wins and add points.
Sitting atop the league at Christmas à la last season looks pretty unlikely; Atlético have conceded a lot of early ground. But the domestic cups are still there. The Champions League remains ever-elusive. The victory against Osasuna was an adequate recovery and continued to demonstrate Atleti’s commitment to a different style of play. Now is the time to push on.
