Atletico Madrid - 10 Match Tactical Analysis

Club Atlético de Madrid S.A.D
10 Match Tactical Analysis
Kieran Smith

Contents
• Introduc*on
• Club
History
• Manager
• Squad
• Story
of
the
season
so
far
• Systems
of
Play
–
Favourite
and
Variable
• 4
Moments
of
the
game
–
ABack
phase
-‐
Transi*on
to
Defence
-‐
Defensive
phase
-‐
Transi*on
to
ABack
• Story
aHer
the
10
matches
• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Conclusion

Introduction
This analysis project is going to look at all aspects of play of Atletico Madrid
over a 10 match period. The objective is to look at the team charactaristics, find
out how they play, analyse their strengths and weaknesses and provide
examples of these aspects in order to learn from how they are playing and why
they are having such success.
The matches that were analysed:
Villarreal (A)
Getafe (H) Zenit St Petersburg (A)
Elche (A) FC Porto (H)
Levante (H)
Valencia (H)
Malaga (A)
Barcelona (H)
Sevilla (H)

Club History
Atle*co
Madrid
were
formed
on
the
26th
of
April
1903
as
Athle*c
Club
de
Madrid
by
three
Basque
students
living
in
Madrid.
They
originally
played
in
blue
and
white
kits,
similarly
to
Athle*c
Bilbao.
When
they
changed
to
wearing
red
and
white,
maBresses
in
Spain
were
the
same
colour
and
this
led
to
them
being
called
Los
Colchoneros(The
Matress
Makers).
Atle*co
Madrid
have
won
29
separate
honours
in
their
history
including
the
Spanish
league
*tle
9
*mes
and
the
Copa
del
Rey
10
*mes.
They
have
also
had
success
in
Europe
being
runners
up
in
the
Champions
League
in
‘73-‐’74,
before
winning
the
UEFA
Europa
League
in
both
2010
&
2012;
these
Europa
League
triumphs
were
both
followed
by
winning
the
European
Super
cup
the
following
seasons.
The
most
successful
manager
in
Atle*co
Madrid’s
history
is
the
late
Luis
Aragones,
who
won
6
different
compe**ons,
including
3
La
Liga
*tles
over
two
spells
at
the
club.
Big
name
former
players
include:
Diego
Simeone,
Fernando
Torres,
Sergio
Aguero,
Radamel
Falcao.
Raul
Gonzalez,
the
Real
Madrid
legend,
was
an
Atle*co
Madrid
youth
player
but
joined
Real
Madrid
when
the
club’s
youth
department
was
closed.

Diego “Cholo” Simeone
Diego
Simeone
took
charge
of
Atle*co
Madrid
on
the
23rd
of
December
2011,
aHer
managerial
s*nts
in
Argen*na
and
Italy,
and
his
impact
was
instant.
In
the
2012-‐13
season
he
beat
Athle*c
Bilbao
to
win
the
UEFA
Cup
and
followed
that
with
a
4-‐1
win
over
Chelsea
in
the
UEFA
Super
Cup
early
in
the
next
season.
Since
then
he
has
pushed
his
squad
to
new
levels
and
not
only
won
the
Copa
del
Rey
trophy,
but
pushed
this
group
of
players
to
try
and
break
the
dominance
of
Barcelona
&
Real
Madrid.
During
his
two
and
a
half
year
spell
with
Atle*,
Simeone
has
shown
his
tac*cal
knowledge
in
analysing
and
exposing
opponents
weaknesess,
and
has
combined
that
with
physicality,
directness
and
intensity
to
make
Atle*co
Madrid
a
formidable
force
in
European
football.
“Effort
is
non-‐nego.able.
It’s
hard
for
me
to
interact
with
players
that
don’t
give
themselves
completely.
The
weak
don’t
interest
me.”

Squad 2013-2014
Goalkeepers
Thibaut
Courtois
Daniel
Aranzubia
Defenders
Diego
Godin
Miranda
Toby
Alderweireld
Filipe
Luis
Juanfran
Javier
Manquillo
Insua
Midfielders
Koke
Gabi
Tiago
Arda
Turan
Mario
Suarez
Raul
Garcia
Oliver
Torres
Cris*an
Rodriguez
Strikers
David
Villa
Adrian
Diego
Costa

Story of the season so far
We
begin
looking
at
Atle*co
Madrid
in
week
13
and
the
tables
opposite
shows
how
they
have
done
up
un*l
now
in
both
La
Liga
and
the
Champions
League.
Atle*
have
had
a
very
impressive
start
to
the
season
in
both
compe**ons,
winning
all
matches
except
one
against
Espanyol
in
the
league;
and
maintaining
a
100%
win
record
in
the
Champions
League.
Simeone’s
side
were
already
winning
many
plaudits
by
this
point
for
their
aBacking
football
and
miserly
defense.
Simeone
is
now
one
of
the
most
sought
aHer
managers
in
Europe
and
that
is
all
down
to
the
fantas*c
job
he’s
done
at
Atle*co
Madrid
Under
Simeone,
the
whole
squad
has
liHed
their
level
but
in
the
next
few
slides
we
are
going
to
look
at
some
of
Atle*’s
key
players
this
season
La
Liga
Table
Champions
League
Table
Key
players
so
far
this
season

Key Player - Diego Costa
Name:
Diego
da
Silva
Costa
Age:
25
Posi*on:
Striker
This
season
Diego
Costa
has
become
the
focal
point
for
Atle*’s
aBack
aHer
playing
second
fiddle
to
Falcao
last
season,
although
he
s*ll
managed
20
goals
in
2012-‐2013.
His
strengths
are
his
pace
and
power,
which
help
the
direct
nature
of
Simeone’s
tac*cs,
but
his
movement
off
the
ball
is
also
very
intelligent
and
that
sees
Costa
find
space
to
receive
the
ball
in
dangerous
areas.
His
aggressive
nature
ini*ally
got
him
into
trouble,
but
now
he
uses
it
to
his
advantage
to
bully
and
in*midate
his
opponents.
We
will
see
examples
of
his
movement
and
goals
when
we
analyse
Atle*co
Madrid’s
aBacking
phases
of
play.

Key
Player
-‐
Gabi
Name:
Gabriel
Fernández
Arenas
“Gabi”
Age:
30
Posi*on:
Central
Midfielder
A
product
of
the
Atle*co
Madrid
Academy,
Gabi
had
to
leave
the
club,
in
a
move
to
Zaragoza,
to
get
his
chance
to
play
regular
football.
He
rejoined
Atle*
in
2009
and
is
now
the
club
captain.
Gabi
has
played
in
every
league
and
Champions
League
this
season
and
his
consistent
performances
have
driven
the
team
forwards.
He
is
a
central
midfielder
with
more
of
a
defensive
mindset,
but
has
s*ll
clocked
up
8
assists
this
season
so
far.
He
is
vital
to
how
Atle*co
Madrid
play
in
both
aBacking
and
defending
phases
of
the
game.

Key Player - Raul Garcia
Name:
Raul
Garcia
Escudero
Age:
27
Posi*on:
Midfielder
Raul
Garcia
is
a
product
of
the
Osasuna
academy
and
played
68
games
for
their
1st
team
before
joining
Atle*co
Madrid
for
€13m
in
2007.
Garcia
has
played
a
very
important
role
for
Atle*
this
season,
despite
not
star*ng
every
game.
He
has
played
a
number
of
posi*ons
for
the
team
so
far
this
season
including
wide
midfielder,
central
aBacking
midfielder
and
striker.
Simeone
trusts
Garcia
with
in
depth
tac*cal
instruc*ons
and
he
always
carries
them
out
fantas*cally
well.
Garcia
hasn’t
always
had
the
best
of
*mes
at
Atle*co
Madrid
but
this
season
he
has
been
one
of
the
teams’s
most
consistent
players.

Key
Player
-‐
Koke
Name:
Jorge
Resurreccion
Merodio
“Koke”
Age:
22
Posi*on:
Midfielder
Koke
is
a
true
Atle*co
Madrid
player
having
joined
the
clubs
academy
aged
8
and
coming
through
the
system
to
make
his
debut
against
Barcelona
in
2009
This
season
Koke
has
drawn
plaudits
from
far
and
wide,
even
aBrac*ng
interest
from
the
likes
of
Manchester
United
and
Bayern
Munich.
Koke
can
play
many
posi*ons
but
has
mainly
been
used
in
a
wide
midfield
posi*on
this
season,
coming
infield
to
combine
with
the
strikers,
and
he
has
an
impressive
9
assists
so
far
this
season.
Diego
Simeone
has
said
that
Koke
will
become
one
of
the
best
players
in
the
world!

Standard System of Play
Villa
Costa
Koke
Gabi
Tiago
Turan
Filipe
Luis
Miranda
Godin
Juanfran
Courtois
1-‐4-‐4-‐2
This
set
up
shows
the
way
Simeone
has
usually
set
up
when
having
all
his
players
fit
and
at
his
disposal.
They
have
used
this
set
up
24
*mes
this
season.
The
forma*on
is
very
fluid
during
play
and
in
the
next
slide
we
will
see
the
usual
in
match
posi*ons
of
the
players.
This
is
not
the
tradi*onal
rigid
4-‐4-‐2
forma*on.
We
mainly
see
the
4-‐4-‐2
set
up
when
Atle*co
don’t
have
the
ball
and
in
their
defensive
shape.
Although
this
is
the
main
shape
and
set
up
of
Atle*co
Madrid
they
have
used
many
varia*ons
which
we
will
see
in
the
following
slides.

Actual
In
Match
Shape
Filipe
Luis
Miranda
Godin
Juanfran
Gabi
Tiago
Koke
Turan
Villa
Costa
Courtois
Here
we
can
see
the
usual
posi*ons
of
the
Atle*co
players
during
play,
when
in
possession.
You
can
see
that
the
two
wide
midfielders
actually
come
inside
to
help
overload
the
midfield
and
leaving
space
for
the
fullbacks
to
get
forward
and
exploit.
The
two
central
midfielders,
Gabi
&
Tiago,
get
forward
too
but
have
a
more
defensive
role
in
this
system.
You
can
see
from
the
movement
arrows
form
Gabi
that
he
is
mobile
in
this
system
and
oHen
moves
into
wide
posi*ons
to
cross
into
the
box.
The
two
centre
backs,
Miranda
&
Godin,
sit
deeper
than
most
defensive
lines
and
allow
the
midfield
and
fullbacks
to
push
forward
aggressively.
Diego
Costa
is
very
mobile
and
will
hold
the
ball
up,
stretch
the
opposi*on
defense
by
chasing
balls
over
the
top
and
run
the
channels.

Varia*ons
in
Systems
of
Play
1-‐4-‐2-‐3-‐1
1-‐4-‐4-‐1-‐1
1-‐4-‐5-‐1
Despite
the
1-‐4-‐4-‐2
being
the
main
forma*on
under
Diego
Simeone,
Atle*co
Madrid
have
shown
the
ability
to
learn
and
adapt
to
mul*ple
forma*ons,
and
tac*cal
instruc*ons
depending
on
the
opposi*on
they
are
facing
and
whether
they
are
playing
at
the
Vicente
Calderon
or
away
from
home.
We
will
see
the
forma*ons
used
over
this
10
game
analysis
in
the
next
slide.

Forma*ons
Used
Over
the
10
Games
v
Villarreal
(A)
v
Getafe
(H)
v
Zenit
(A)
v
Elche
(A)
v
Porto
(H)
v
Valencia
(H)
v
Levante
(H)
v
Malaga
(A)
v
Barcelona
(H)
v
Sevilla
(H)

Style
of
Play
&
Roles
and
Responsibili*es

Style
of
Play
AHer
looking
at
the
forma*ons
Atle*co
Madrid
have
used
this
season,
we
are
now
going
to
look
at
the
style
of
play
and
the
roles
&
responsibili*es
of
each
posi*on,
in
both
offensive
and
defensive
phases.
We
will
see
many
examples
of
all
four
moments
of
the
game
in
this
presenta*on.
Style
of
Play
–
A<acking
Direct
play
Atle*co
Madrid
use
a
very
direct
style
of
play.
This
is
not
aimless
long
balls,
but
means
they
try
to
go
forward
at
EVERY
opportunity.
Atle*
are
very
strong
in
counter
aBack.
Build
up
play
The
GK
will
kick
long
almost
every
*me
with
Diego
Costa
or
Raul
Garcia
being
the
target.
The
midfield
will
then
play
off
of
the
2nd
ball
and
build
from
there.
The
ini*al
phase
for
Atle*
usually
starts
in
the
middle
third.
Overloading
The
wide
midfielders
will
come
inside
to
overload
the
opposi*on,
who
in
La
Liga,
tend
to
play
with
3
players
in
central
midfield.
Atle*
will
have
all
four
midfield
players
in
the
central
area
and
play
from
there.
The
fullbacks
play
a
integral
part
in
the
aBacking
phase
by
providing
the
width
when
the
wide
midfielders
go
in
field.

Style
of
Play
Style
of
Play
–
Defensive
Atle*co
Madrid
are
very,
very
well
organised
defensively
and
this
has
been
a
strength
of
theirs
this
season.
The
forma*ons
we
have
looked
at
earlier
are
the
basis
of
their
defensive
shape
in
each
game
and
they
are
very
clear
in
the
defensive
phase.
High/Medium
block
Most
of
the
*me
Atle*
will
use
a
high
block
with
aggressive
tac*cal
pressing,
but
in
some
away
matches
against
possession
based
teams
they
have
resorted
to
a
medium
block.
Pressing
The
pressing
is
ini*ated
by
the
strikers
and
the
rest
of
the
team
will
follow
them.
They
will
either
try
to
force
the
long
pass
from
the
opposi*on
or
force
them
wide
where
Atle*
will
press
in
packs
to
win
the
ball
Midfield
The
midfield
will
narrow
and
become
compact
in
an
aBempt
to
force
the
opposi*on
into
wide
areas
to
press
them
as
men*oned
above

Roles
&
Responsibili*es
-‐
Offensive
Goalkeeper
Needs
to
have
good
long
distribu*on
and
also
be
able
to
iden*fy
counter
aBack
opportuni*es
and
distribute
accurately
and
quickly
Central
Defenders
They
are
a
safety
net
and
will
also
need
to
be
able
to
play
short
and
long
passes
when
receiving
the
ball.
Go
forward
for
corners
and
appropriate
free
kicks
Fullbacks
In
aBack
they
give
the
width
to
the
team
and
provide
as
many
crosses
as
possible
for
the
strikers
to
aBack,
and
also
combina*on
play
with
the
other
midfielder
to
create
opportuni*es.
Central
Midfielders
Go
forward
and
get
involved
in
the
aBack
with
through
balls,
passes
and
shots
from
outside
the
box.
Also
moving
into
wide
posi*on
to
combine
with
fullback
LeK/Right
Midfielders
The
role
of
these
players
is
to
come
inside
and
overload
the
central
zone.
They
will
combine
with
all
players
to
create
opportuni*es
for
the
strikers.
They
will
rotate
posi*ons
and
have
somewhat
of
a
free
role
in
the
aBacking
phase
Strikers
The
strikers
are
the
focal
point
of
the
team
and
need
to
work
hard
in
running
channels,
holing
up
the
ball
and
also
geung
on
the
end
of
crosses.
They
need
to
be
able
to
iden*fy
counter
aBack
opportuni*es.

Roles
&
Responsibili*es
-‐
Defensive
Goalkeeper
Needs
to
be
able
to
organise
and
give
instruc*on
to
an
unorganised
defence
which
is
s*ll
in
transi*on.
Be
good
at
coming
for
crosses
and
shot
stopping.
Central
Defenders
Confident
in
2v2,
3v2
situa*ons,
very
good
at
dealing
with
crosses
and
blocking
shots.
Able
to
slow
opposi*on
aBack
to
allow
fullbacks
to
recover
into
posi*on.
Organise
defensive
unit
and
communicate
with
midfield.
Own
their
zone.
Fullbacks
Confident
in
1v1
situa*ons,
understand
when
to
press
when
the
opposi*on
is
on
their
side
and
press
as
a
‘gang’.
Fast
in
recovery
to
get
back
into
posi*on
aHer
aBacking
phase.
Central
Midfielders
Get
back
into
posi*on
and
organise
the
midfield
unit.
Help
the
central
defenders
by
picking
up
2nd
ball
if
opposi*on
play
a
longer
pass.
Know
their
defensive
zone
and
defend
within
it.
Understand
when
to
press
aHer
taking
cue
from
strikers.
LeK/Right
Midfielders
Know
role
and
zone
when
organised
in
defensive
posi*on,
but
also
understand
how
to
recover
and
get
back
into
posi*on
aHer
aBacking.
Know
how/when
to
press
as
a
team
and
also
when
opposi*on
is
on
his
side.
Strikers
Strikers
iden*fy
and
ini*ate
pressing
when
they
see
one
of
the
triggers
and
and
know
how
to
press
to
force
the
opposi*on
wide
or
into
long
pass.
Also
get
organised
if
pressing
isn’t
an
op*on
and
stay
compact
as
a
team
unit.

Defini*on
of
the
Four
Moments
ATTACK
In
Possession
Four
Moments
of
the
game
Transi*on
to
Defense
DEFENCE
Out
of
Possession
Transi*on
to
ABack
We
are
going
to
look
at
the
four
moments
of
the
game
as
shown
in
the
diagram
opposite.
The
next
few
slides
will
show
which
aspects
of
play
we
will
look
at
from
each
of
these
four
moments.
This
allows
us
to
break
down
all
aspects
of
Atle*co
Madrid’s
play
and
helps
us
fully
understand
the
methods
they’ve
used
to
such
success
this
season
Transi*on
will
be
referred
to
as
T+
&
T-‐
in
examples.
T+
is
transi*on
to
aBack
and
T-‐
is
transi*on
to
defence.

ABack
–
In
Possession
ABack
Ini*a*on
Phase
Build
up
play
GK
Distribu*on
Crea*on
Phase
ABacking
Shape
Chance
Crea*on
Combina*ons
and
Overloads
Final
Phase
Scoring
Opportuni*es
ABacking
paBerns
in
final
3rd
Typical
goals

Transi*on
-‐
Defensive
Transi*on
To
Defence
On
losing
the
ball
Player
posi*on
Team
Shape
1st
Decision
Defending
when
unorganised
Press
or
not
Slow
down
opposi*on
aBack
Recover
into
posi*on
Geung
organised
to
defensive
shape
Can
they
get
into
defensive
shape
Players
taking
up
other
posi*ons
Force
play
backwards

Defence
–
Out
of
Possession
Defence
Defending
when
organised
Defensive
shape
Making
play
predicable
High/Medium
Block
Defending
the
3rd’s
&
Unit
roles
Defending
in
each
3rd
Compactness
&
forcing
play
wide
Mistakes
&
Weaknesses
Pressing
Ini*a*ng
the
press
–
Triggers
How
the
team
press
Where
the
team
press

Transi*on
-‐
Offensive
Transi*on
To
aBack
Winning
the
ball
Player
posi*on
when
ball
is
won
1st
decision
–
keep
possession/aBack
Counter
aBack
opportuni*es
Pre
planned
counter
aBack
paBerns
Who
joins
in
the
aBacks
Regaining
aBacking
shape
Playing
forward
when
counter
not
on
Regaining
aBacking
shape
&
units
Moving
into
aBacking
phase

Build
Up
Play
From
GK
We
will
see
a
breakdown
of
how
oHen
Atle*co
Madrid
play
short
from
the
goalkeeper,
and
it’s
not
very
oHen.
In
this
example,
it
looks
like
they
will
play
out
from
the
back
and
start
their
build
up
from
there
but
they
use
the
opportunity
to
switch
play
and
into
the
middle
third
aHer
drawing
the
opposi*on
in.

Build
Up
Play
From
Centre
Back
Miranda
has
received
the
ball
and
the
opposi*on
are
star*ng
to
press.
We
can
see
how
high
Atle*co
Madrid
will
push
when
they
are
s*ll
in
their
ini*al
building
phase.
Here,
Miranda
will
play
a
long
ball
to
Arda
Turan
who
will
flick
it
on
to
the
fullback
Juanfran.
This
will
see
a
lot
of
team
movement
as
a
reac*on
to
this
pass
and
Atle*
will
begin
building
their
aBack
in
the
opposi*ons
defensive
third.

Goal
kick
from
GK
This
is
the
usual
set
up
for
goal
kicks
and
as
we
will
se
from
the
next
slide,
the
majority
of
the
ini*a*on
phase
is
started
here
in
the
middle
3rd
of
the
pitch.
Diego
Costa
or
Raul
Garcia
are
usually
the
targets
from
goal
kicks
due
to
their
hight
and
physicality.
We
can
see
the
‘pack’
of
players
wai*ng
on
the
2nd
ball
and
when
Costa
knocks
it
down
they
begin
their
aBack.
We
can
see
that
Atle*
have
overloaded
the
2nd
ball
area.

Distribu*on
Breakdown
1
0
2
5
12
9
5
13
4
2 9
1
15
0 2
0 3
0
Goalkeeper
distribu*on
areas
GK
Distribu*on
Success
Rate
48%
52%
Completed
Failed
ABacking
3rd
35%
Middle
3rd
41%
Defensive
3rd
24%
In
this
slide
we
can
see
where
on
the
pitch
the
goalkeeper
distributed
the
ball
and
from
that
we
can
see
that
Atle*co
Madrid
overwhelmingly
prefer
to
play
longer
from
the
goalkeeper
with
76%
of
goalkeeper
distribu*on
being
aimed
outside
of
the
defensive
third
of
the
pitch.
Despite
having
a
48%
pass
fail
rate,
Atle*
picked
up
82%
of
the
2nd
balls
from
goal
kicks.

ABacking
Shape
in
Possesion
He
were
see
a
very
typical
aBacking
set
up
from
Atle*co
Madrid.
Both
wide
midfielders
hads
come
inside
to
the
central
area,
and
along
with
Diego
Costa,
have
created
a
3v1
overload
in
that
central
area
should
they
want
to
exploit
it.
Atle*
play
very
directly
and
as
soon
as
Koke
receives
the
ball,
he
looks
to
play
forward.
We
also
see
the
op*on
for
the
long
ball
in
behind
the
defence
to
Villa.
We
will
see
more
of
this
later.

Midfield
ABacking
Shape
The
focus
here
is
Koke
and
Arda
Turan,
the
wide
midfielders.
You
can
clearly
see
their
favoured
central
posi*ons
in
this
picture,
and
this
is
the
usual
posi*ons
you
will
see
them
take
up
during
the
match
and
it
causes
problems
for
opposi*on
teams
through
overloading;
especially
with
the
aggressive
nature
of
the
fullbacks
providing
the
width.
This
is
not
unorthodox
wingers,
coming
inside
when
they
receive
the
ball,
but
a
fluid
midfield
shape.

Combina*on
to
switch
play
&
cross
Atle*co
Madrid
play
longer
and
more
direct
more
oHen
than
not,
but
this
example
shows
that
they
can
also
play
football
and
combine
to
not
only
switch
play
but
to
create
a
crossing
opportunity
and
score
from
it.
Koke
is
again
in
a
more
central
role
and
finds
space.
He
then
moves
into
a
wide
posi*on
combines
with
the
fullback
Juanfran.

Direct
Play
to
Villa
When
Atle*co
Madrid
players
have
*me
to
look
up
and
play
a
pass
they
will
look
to
play
to
the
furthest
forward
player
and
this
is
a
good
example
of
a
long
ball
in
behind
the
defence.
Arda
picks
up
the
ball
and
Villa
looks
for
the
long
ball
straight
away
as
the
Malaga
defence
are
holding
a
high
line.
Diego
Costa
is
more
likely
to
run
the
channels
to
create
opportuni*es
for
himself.

Typical
Goal
From
Cross
The
fullbacks
of
Atle*co
Madrid
are
very
dangerous
and
this
example
shows
one
of
many
similar
examples
of
goals
from
crosses
this
season.
Juanfran
is
able
to
check
back
and
cut
inside
into
the
space
created
by
Koke’s
run
to
cross
for
Godin
to
head
for
a
goal.
We
will
see
a
breakdown
of
how
dangerous
Atle*
are
from
crosses.

Typical
Diego
Costa
Goal
This
is
not
only
an
example
of
a
typical
Diego
Costa
goal
but
also
of
a
run
that
he
is
becoming
known
for,
which
Atle*
have
used
to
devasta*ng
effect
this
season.
Costa
makes
an
intelligent
run
into
the
space
behind
the
opposi*on
fullback,
receives
the
ball
and
drives
forward
into
the
box.
He
manages
to
get
to
just
outside
the
6
yards
box
before
shoo*ng
and
scoring.

Garcia
Tac*cal
Intelligence
The
tac*cal
intelligence
of
Raul
Garcia
was
men*oned
in
his
key
player
focus
and
this
is
just
one
example
of
that.
Garcia
pushes
onto
the
aBacking
line
and
Diego
Costa
drops
into
more
of
a
No
10
role.
Garcia
has
played
numerous
posi*ons
this
season
and
can
rotate
between
playing
up
front
and
in
midfield
against
stronger
teams.

ABacking
Phase
Breakdown
In
the
graphic
below
we
can
see
the
areas
where
Atle*co
Madrid’s
aBacking
crosses
come
in
from.
The
figures
include
corners
and
that’s
why
the
two
highest
numbers
are
in
those
posi*ons.
Average
No
of
crosses
per
game:
24.75
Most
crosses
in
one
match:
42
(v
Levante
at
home)
44
36
9
3
1 8
57
27
10
1
20
2
Success
Failed
Cross
Success
Rate
76%
24%
Despite
the
high
failed
cross
rate,
Atle*co
Madrid
scored
10
goals
from
crosses
over
this
10
match
analysis
period.
They
will
bombard
opposi*on
teams
with
crosses
if
given
the
chance
&
they
are
dangerous
from
them

ABacking
Phase
Summary
Direct
Play
Atle*co
Madrid
are
very
direct,
play
long
from
the
GK
and
try
to
control
the
game
in
the
opposi*ons
half.
They
create
a
lot
of
goalscoring
chances
and
they
will
go
forward
at
every
opportunity
when
organise
or
on
with
a
fast
counter
aBack
Wide
Play
&
Crosses
We
have
seen
that
the
majority
of
Atle*co
Madrid’s
scoring
opportuni*es
come
from
wide
areas
and
that
the
fullbacks
give
them
the
width
when
they
aBack
with
the
wide
midfielders
coming
inside.
They
are
also
a
huge
threat
from
aBacking
set
pieces.
Wide
Midfielders
We
have
seen
how
the
wide
midfielders
come
inside
to
overload
the
central
area
of
the
pitch,
as
well
as
rota*ng
with
each
other
and
even
some*mes
rota*ng
with
the
strikers.
TacQcally
Flexible
Atle*
are
an
excellent
team
but
they
can
also
change
tac*cs
to
suit
their
opposi*on
and
minimise
their
chance
of
geung
a
result.

Familiar
Shape
When
Ball
Is
Lost
This
is
a
familiar
shape
when
Atle*co
Madrid
aBack
and
you
can
see
that
it
leaves
them
somewhat
exposed
should
they
lose
the
ball,
and
that’s
what
happens
here.
Koke
loses
the
ball
in
the
tackle
and
Getafe
instantly
try
to
counter
aBack
and
end
up
with
a
4v2
aBacking
overload
when
the
enter
the
Atleico
Madrid
half.
Luckily
the
Getafe
player
driving
forward
makes
a
poor
decision
and
loses
the
ball.
The
Atle*
players
recover
in
numbers
and
do
so
very
quickly.

Fast
&
Aggressive
Defensive
Transi*on
Atle*co
Madrid
are
very
fast
in
their
defensive
transi*ons
and
this
is
one
clear
example
of
this.
Valencia
win
the
ball
in
the
wide
area
and
immediately
Atle*
will
try
to
force
the
receiving
player
into
a
*ght
central
area,
and
aBempt
to
win
the
ball
back.
Both
central
midfielders
will
make
diagonal
runs
to
try
and
funnel
the
aBacking
player
in
and
restrict
his
space
to
aBack,
with
Turan
pressing
the
player
directly.
The
other
players
recover
into
their
defensive
posi*ons
as
a
safety
net.

T-‐
Decision:
Press
or
Delay?
When
Atle*co
Madrid
lose
the
ball
the
first
decision
they
make
is
whether
to
press
the
ball
or
try
to
delay
the
aBacker
to
get
organised.
Here
we
see
them
pressing
the
ball.
In
this
example
Gabi
an*cipates
the
pass
and
goes
to
close
down
the
opposi*on
player.Gabi
forces
the
player
to
stay
wide
and
back
towards
recovering
Atle*
players.
Ini*ally
Tiago
is
making
a
recovery
run
but
joins
in
with
the
team
press
and
it
ends
up
with
all
four
Atle*
midfielders
pressing
the
player
that
has
been
forced
back.
We
will
look
into
the
pressing
of
Atle*co
Madrid
in
the
defence
sec*on
but
this
example
shows
that
Atle*
press
in
T-‐
as
well
as
when
organised.
Atle*
press
aggresively
so
if
they
don’t
do
it
as
a
team
they
leave
large
gaps
for
the
opposi*on
to
exploit.
This
VERY
rarely
happens
as
Simeone
makes
sure
that
everyone
knows
their
roles
and
triggers
when
pressing.

Delaying
the
Opponent
to
get
organised
Atle*co
Madrid
are
very
good
at
delaying
the
opponent
in
*mes
of
defensive
transi*on
and
this
is
one
good
example.
We
can
see
that
Barcelona
win
the
ball
and
try
to
counter
aBack
but
the
centre
back,
Miranda,
has
come
wide
to
delay
that.
We
can
see
Juanfran
making
a
recovery
run
and
Gabi
taking
up
a
posi*on
inside
to
stop
the
winger
aBacking
centrally.
Should
the
Barca
player
pass
to
his
closest
teammate,
both
Gabi
and
Juanfran
would
press
him.
We
then
see
than
delaying
the
opposi*on
has
allowed
the
Atle*co
Madrid
back
line
to
get
organised
and
compact,
and
Gabi
wins
the
ball.
Koke
and
Turan
make
recovery
runs
into
central
areas
to
pick
up
the
suppor*ng
aBacking
players.

Fullbacks
Posi*on
in
T-‐
This
example
highlights
both
a
weakness
and
a
strength
of
Atle*co
Madrid.
The
ini*al
image
shows
the
high
aBacking
posi*on
of
the
Atle*
fullbacks
as
the
ball
is
lost
and
highlights
the
poten*al
space
in
wide
areas
for
a
counter
aBack
due
to
them
being
so
advanced
when
Atle*co
Madrid
aBack.
When
the
ball
is
lost
Gabi,
the
central
midfielder,
immediately
takes
up
a
covering
posi*on
for
the
right
fullback,
Juanfran.
This
cuts
off
that
side
of
the
field
meaning
the
player
has
to
go
centrally.
The
opposi*on
player
aBacks
centrally
and
passes
to
his
teammate
trying
to
expose
the
space
in
the
leH
fullback
posi*on.
Godin
reads
the
situa*on
and
moves
across,
and
along
with
the
excellent
recovery
run
of
Filipe
Luis,
is
in
a
posi*on
to
dispossess
the
opposi*on
player
when
he
tries
to
come
inside.

Defensive
Transi*on
Summary
Atle*co
Madrid
aBack
in
numbers
and
leave
space
that
opposi*on
teams
to
exploit
but
they
are
strong
in
transi*on
to
the
defensive
phase.
Their
main
strengths
are:
Fast
TransiQon
When
Atle*
lose
the
ball
they
are
very
fast
in
transi*on
and
to
get
back
into
their
defensive
shape,
and
that
leaves
very
liBle
*me
for
the
opposi*on
to
counter
aBack.
Press
or
Delay
The
first
decision
in
defensive
transi*on
of
whether
to
press
the
ball
or
recover
to
an
organised
shape
is
vital
and
not
only
are
Atle*co
Madrid
strong
in
doing
both,
but
they
rarely
make
the
wrong
decision
so
opposi*on
teams
need
to
have
a
defined
plan
if
they
want
to
exploit
the
transi*on
phase.
Comfortable
In
TransiQon
Atle*co
Madrid
have
tac*cally
intelligent
players
and
they
all
understand
what
is
expected
of
them
in
the
defensive
transi*on
phase,
so
they
are
comfortable
in
transi*on.
They
will
take
up
posi*ons
to
cover
their
teammates
or
force
opposi*on
players
to
play
backwards
un*l
they
can
get
defensively
organised
as
a
team.

Defensive
Organisa*on
Villa
Costa
Koke
Tiago
Gabi
Turan
Filipe
Luis
Godin
Miranda
Juanfran
Courtois
OrganisaQon
In
this
sec*on
we
are
going
to
look
at
the
defensive
side
of
Atle*co
Madrid.
This
has
been
the
founda*on
of
their
style
of
play
and
they
are
one
of
the
most
organised
teams
in
European
football
this
season.
We
will
see
how
they
defend
when
organised,
how
they
force
opposi*on
into
wide
areas
and
then
press,
their
aggressive
pressing,
tac*cal
flexibility
and
where
they
are
weak
defensively.
In
the
image
opposite,
we
can
see
the
usual
defensive
shape
that
Atle*
adopt.
We
can
see
that
they
become
narrow,
compact
and
usually
hold
a
high
line
of
engagement
while
leaving
space
in
wide
areas.
They
are
pa*ent
when
organised
and
will
wait
for
their
chance
to
press
aggressively
or
un*l
the
opposi*on
play
a
long
ball
into
their
stronger
areas.

Organised
Defensive
Units
This
is
a
clear
example
of
Atle*co
Madrid
being
organised,
compact
and
narrow,
using
a
low
block,
in
defense.
We
can
see
the
defensive
units
and
how
they
are
not
only
narrow
and
compact,
but
overloading
the
central
area
in
their
favour.
Godin
is
ready
to
step
in
front
of
the
striker
in
front
of
him
should
the
pass
go
there,
and
both
Villa
&
Koke
are
ready
to
press
quickly
the
opposi*on
player
in
the
wide
area.
This
is
the
most
common
defensive
set
up
used
by
Atle*co
Madrid.

Organised
Medium
Block
Here
we
can
see
Atle*co
Madrid
in
a
medium
block
but
also
forcing
the
opposi*on
into
a
wide
area.
Atle*
are
organised,
as
always,
and
are
ready
to
press
the
player
in
the
wide
area
when
the
ball
is
passed.
This
also
shows
the
big
space
between
the
fullback
and
centre
back,
which
is
too
big,
and
we
will
see
later
has
caused
Atle*
to
concede
goals.

Aggressive
High
Block
We
can
see
the
high
block
of
Atle*co
Madrid
here
and
how
aggressive
they
can
be
when
they
want
to
press
the
opposi*on.
They
are
trying
to
force
the
opposi*on
to
play
a
long
pass
by
pressing
them
in
the
high
block.
Koke
has
come
out
of
his
midfield
posi*on
to
give
the
first
line
of
the
high
block
two
players,
instead
of
leaving
one,
Garcia,
there
on
his
own
and
giving
Zenit
*me
to
play
out
without
any
pressure.

Narrow
Midfield
To
Force
Play
Wide
This
intelligent
set
up
shows
how
narrow
the
Atle*co
Madrid
will
go
to
leave
the
space
in
the
wide
areas,
but
they
are
also
set
up
and
prepared
to
press
should
these
opposi*on
player
receive
the
ball
in
these
wide
areas.
This
looks
like
a
very
basic
defensive
shape
but
when
you
look
at
the
detail
Atle*
are
intelligently
set
up
to
not
only
guide
the
opposi*on
into
the
areas
they
want
them
to
be
in
but
they
are
set
up
to
counter
aBack
the
instant
they
win
the
ball.

Trying
To
Force
Play
Centrally
Here
we
can
see
Valencia
aBacking
and
Koke
is
trying
to
engage
the
player
in
possession
by
shaping
his
body
to
show
him
into
a
central
area
where
Atle*
are
strong.
Raul
Garcia
has
dropped
off
the
back
line
to
help
with
pressure.
We
can
see
the
highlighted
opposi*on
player
in
the
wide
area
and
should
the
player
in
possession
pass
into
the
wide
area,
that
is
a
trigger
for
Gabi,
Juanfran
and
Koke
to
press
in
the
wide
area.
We
are
going
to
look
at
Atle*’s
pressing
in
more
detail.

Fullbacks
Posi*oning
When
Defending
The
fullbacks
are
very
important
to
how
Atle*co
Madrid
play,
both
in
aBack
and
defence,
but
this
is
one
area
in
par*cular
that
opposi*on
teams
can
target
when
aBacking
them.
When
Atle*
aBack
both
fullbacks
go
forward
aggressively
and
provide
the
width
for
the
team,
as
we
have
seen
earlier,
but
that
also
leaves
space
for
the
opposi*on
to
exploit.
The
other
area
in
which
opposi*on
teams
can
target
the
Atle*co
Madrid
fullbacks
is
when
they
come
into
wide
posi*ons
to
press
or
engage
the
opposi*on
wide
players.
When
a
fullback
defends
in
a
wide
posi*on
the
centre
backs
stay
very
centrally
and
this
leave
a
huge
gap
between
the
centre
back
and
fullback
for
the
opposi*on
to
exploit.
Centre
Fullback
Back
Centre
Back
Fullback
We
can
see
the
central
area
that
the
centre
backs
of
Ale*
will
usually
stay
in
when
organised
and
the
gap
between
the
two
when
the
fullback
goes
out
to
defend
in
a
wide
area.
The
2nd
opposi*on
player
can
make
a
run
into
a
very
dangerous
area
if
a
midfielder
doesn’t
track
that
run.

Fullbacks
Posi*oning
When
Defending
This
is
an
example
of
what
we
just
looked
at
in
the
previous
slide
and
shows
the
true
distance
between
the
centre
back
and
the
fullback.
We
can
see
that
Manquillo
goes
out
to
engage
the
opposi*on
player
in
the
wide
area
and
Koke
is
a
liBle
behind
play
and
the
receiving
Porot
player
has
a
lot
of
space
to
drive
into.
This
also
affects
what
Miranda
has
to
do
and
in
turn
leaves
Alderweireld
1v1
in
the
box
agains
the
Porto
striker

Fullbacks
Posi*oning
When
Defending
Another
example
of
the
space
between
the
centre
back
and
the
fullback
being
exploited,
this
*me
on
the
leH
side
of
defence.
Filipe
Luis
goes
out
to
press
the
opposi*on
player
and
the
centre
backs
stay
compact
and
central.
Tiago
could
drop
into
the
space
leH
by
Luis
going
out
to
the
player
but
chooses
to
go
and
support
the
press
and
actually
opens
up
the
space
further.
The
player
in
possession
cuts
inside
and
plays
the
pass
into
the
path
of
his
teammate
in
a
dangerous
area

Tac*cal
Flexibility
In
Defensive
Shape
Atle*co
Madrid
are
a
very
intelligent
team
and
this
example
shows
a
good
example
of
this.
Ini*ally
they
are
set
up
in
a
4-‐4-‐2
forma*on
to
stop
the
opponent
playing
forward.
Once
the
ball
goes
into
a
wide
are,
which
Atle*
can’t
press,
Gabi
drops
back
to
play
between
the
lines
and
Raul
Garcia
fills
that
gap
to
create
a
4-‐1-‐4-‐1
forma*on.

Tac*cal
Flexibility
In
Defensive
Shape
1-‐4-‐2-‐3-‐1
1-‐4-‐4-‐2
1-‐4-‐1-‐4-‐1
The
image
above
shows
Atle*co
Madrid
using
3
different
defensive
forma*ons
in
one
match.
Ini*ally
they
started
in
a
4-‐2-‐3-‐1
then
adapted
to
how
the
opposi*on
were
playing
and
depending
what
the
opposi*on
done
or
how
they
tried
to
play,
Atle*
changed
their
set
up
to
dealnulify
the
threat
from
the
forma*on.
In
the
Champions
League
Atle*co
Madrid
have
also
set
up
in
a
4-‐5-‐1
defensive
forma*on
but
then
adapted
that
mid
match
to
a
4-‐1-‐4-‐1
because
the
opposi*on
were
finding
space
between
the
lines
of
the
Atle*
defence
and
midfield.

Pressing
AtleQco
Madrid’s
Pressing
The
pressing
game
of
Atle*co
Madrid
is
a
key
part
of
their
defensive
strategy
and
they
are
very
organised
in
how,
when
and
where
they
press.
They
are
very
aggressive
in
their
pressing
and
they
have
also
shown
to
be
excellent
in
offensive
transi*on,
and
their
pressing
game
is
a
huge
part
of
this
counter
aBacking
style.
Pressing
to
win
or
forcing
play?
We
will
see
many
aspects
of
Atle*’s
pressing
in
the
following
slides
and
we
will
also
see
a
breakdown
of
where
they
win
the
ball
back.
Even
though
they
press
aggressively,
they
are
clever
with
it
and
it’s
not
only
to
win
the
ball
in
that
aBacking
third;
They
are
happy
to
force
the
opposi*on
into
kicking
it
long
or
even
out
of
play
for
a
throw.
Mentality
in
pressing
–
Home
v
Away
Atle*
will
always
press
in
certain
areas
of
the
field,
but
they
have
a
very
different
philosophy
when
playing
away
from
home.
For
example,
when
playing
a
possession
based
team,
in
Villarreal,
away
from
home,
Atle*
will
have
a
deeper
line
of
engagement;
but
at
home
against
Barcelona
they
were
very
aggressive
and
even
pressed
them
in
their
own
box.
This
shows
tac*cal
flexibility
and
intelligence
which
comes
from
how
Diego
Simeone
has
analysed
the
opposi*on.

Strikers
Ini*a*ng
Aggressive
Press
Atle*co
Madrid
are
very
aggressive
in
their
pressing
at
home
and
this
example
shows
them
pressing
Barcelona,
one
of
the
best
teams
at
playing
out
from
the
back,
with
a
very
high
line.
The
trigger
for
this
press
was
the
pass
back
to
the
goalkeeper
from
the
leH
side
Barcleona
centre
back.
Costa
pressures
the
goalkeeper
and
the
rest
of
the
team
react
to
that
and
have
created
a
boxed
area
to
press
Barcelona
and
have
overloaded
that
area.
Atle*
for
Barca
to
kick
long
and
they
have
their
defensive
line
organised
and
wai*ng
to
win
the
header
against
Barca’s
smaller
aBacking
players

High
Pressure
Pressing
Another
example
of
the
high
pressing
in
the
opposi*on’s
box
ini*ated
by
the
strikers.

Line
of
Engagement
Away
From
Home
In
the
previous
couple
of
examples
we
have
seen
Atle*co
Madrid
using
a
very
high
pressing
line
when
playing
at
home,
but
here
we
can
see
the
difference
in
their
pressing
when
playing
away
from
home.
Garcia
lets
the
opposi*on
centre
back
come
forward
before
pressing
him
and
forcing
him
to
play
sideways
to
his
teammate.
Koke
then
presses
the
other
centre
back
and
forces
him
to
play
back
to
the
goalkeeper.

Res*ng
Posi*on
When
Pressing
Atle*co
Madrid
have
an
incredible
capacity
to
press
the
opposi*on
for
most
of
the
game
and
when
they
do
rest,
this
is
the
type
of
set
up
they
will
use
to
try
and
stop
the
opposi*on
playing
forward.
Turan
moves
up
and
into
the
aBacking
line
and
Gabi
moves
over
to
close
the
space
on
the
opponent.
When
the
opposi*on
cannot
play
forward
and
go
backwards
that
is
the
trigger
for
the
Atle*
forward
line
to
push
higher
and
look
for
their
chance
to
press
aggressively.

Pressing
In
Wide
Areas
One
of
the
main
pressing
triggers
of
Atle*co
Madrid
is
when
the
ball
is
played
into
a
wide
area
and
here
we
have
an
example
of
that.
As
soon
as
the
ball
is
played
wide,
especially
when
the
receiving
player
has
a
poor
body
shape,
three
Atle*
players
press
aggressively.
The
will
try
to
win
the
ball
and
play
forward
to
Diego
Costa,
who
will
move
into
an
aBacking
posi*on,
but
they
also
have
the
advantage
of
using
the
touchline
as
another
defender.

Pressing
In
Wide
Areas
Another
example
of
pressing
aggressively
when
the
ball
is
played
into
a
wide
area.
Atle*co
Madrid
are
strong
centrally
so
as
soon
as
the
opposi*on
player
on
the
ball
shapes
to
pass
wide,
the
Atle*
players
are
ready
to
press
in
a
swarm
of
three
players.
Juanfran,
Gabi
and
Turan
press
the
Barcelona
wide
player
as
soon
as
he
receives
the
ball
and
Villa
presses
the
player
who
made
the
ini*al
pass.

Ball
Recovery
Breakdown
4%
51%
45%
Intercep*ons
Tackles
27%
73%
Ball
Recovery
Areas
How
Ball
is
Recovered
Here
we
can
see
not
only
the
areas
in
which
Atle*co
Madrid
win
the
ball
back,
but
also
how
the
ball
is
won
back.
They
use
an
aggressive
pressing
game
but
we
can
see
that
they
rarely
win
the
ball
in
the
aBacking
third
of
the
field.
Atle*
oHen
press
and
force
opponent
to
play
a
long
pass
or
make
a
poor
decision
and
give
the
ball
away.
The
fact
that
Atle*
win
the
ball
most
oHen
in
the
middle
third
aids
their
quick,
direct
counter
aBacking
style
of
play.
ABacking
3rd
Middle
3rd
Defensive
3rd

Defending
Phase
Summary
We
have
seen
that
Atle*co
Madrid
are
very
strong
in
defence
whether
that
be
pressing
the
opponent,
transi*on
to
defence
or
defending
when
organised.
This
is
key
to
how
they
play
and
some
of
their
strengths
in
defending
are:
PaQent
When
Organised
Atle*co
Madrid
are
pa*ent
when
they
are
defensively
organised
and
will
wait
for
their
chance
to
win
the
ball,
whether
that
be
forcing
the
opponent
into
a
mistake
or
wai*ng
for
a
trigger
to
press.
Aggressive
Pressing
We
have
see
how
high
Atle*
press
when
at
home
and
it
suffocates
many
of
their
opponents
and
forces
them
to
play
into
areas
where
Atle*
strong
and
they
can
counter
aBack
from
there.
Defensively
Flexible
Not
only
can
Atle*co
Madrid
change
defensive
shape
to
suit
the
next
opponent,
but
they
can
do
it
mid
game
without
a
problem.
They
have
also
been
shown
to
use
different
mentali*es
depending
on
whether
they
are
playing
at
home
or
away.

Winning
To
Counter
In
Wide
Area
The
first
example
of
the
transi*on
to
aBack
from
Atle*co
Madrid
is
showing
how
they
press
to
win
the
ball
in
wide
areas
and
then
aBack
quickly.
The
leH
back,
Filipe
Luis,
can
see
the
opposi*on
player
is
about
to
receive
the
ball
in
a
poor
body
posi*on
and
this
triggers
him
to
press.
Luis
presses
aggressively
and
wins
the
ball,
and
instantly
looks
for
Arda
Turan,
who
aBacks
the
space
behind
the
opposi*on
in
the
wide
area.
Diego
Costa
makes
a
run
between
the
opposi*on
centre
backs
and
into
a
good
posi*on
to
receive
the
ball
to
aBempt
a
shot
on
goal.

T+
in
Central
Area
Here
we
see
an
example
of
an
offensive
transi*on
in
a
central
area.
Arda
Turan
and
Gabi
press
the
opposi*on
player
and
force
him
into
a
makign
a
poor
pass,
which
goes
straight
to
Koke.
When
Koke
gets
the
ball,
Arda
Turan
aBacks
quickly
and
receives
the
ball
in
a
pocket
of
space;
He
then
looks
for
Diego
Costa
who
is
making
a
blindside
run
behind
the
opposi*on
player
and
into
the
box.
Turan
plays
an
excellent
through
ball
between
the
opposi*on
defenders
and
into
the
patch
of
Costa.
Raul
Garcia
moves
towards
Arda
to
engage
the
centre
back
closest
to
him,
stop
him
from
from
recovering
so
quickly
and
giving
Costa
and
extra
half
second
on
the
ball.

Strikers
Combining
In
Central
T+
This
offensive
transi*on
shows
how
quickly
Atle*co
Madrid
can
aBack
from
a
defensively
organised
posi*on.
We
can
see
the
defensive
units
and
when
Gabi
and
Tiago
press
and
win
the
ball
that
ini*ates
the
counter
aBack.
When
Gabi
wins
the
ball
he
quickly
passes
to
David
Villa
who
turns
to
play
forward
and
plays
a
one
two
with
Diego
Costa
which
takes
the
last
Barcelona
midfielders
out
of
the
game
and
gives
him
space
to
drive
into.
Diego
Costa
is
fouled
but
Villa
con*nues
with
his
aBack
but
is
dispossessed.
This
shows
how
quickly
Atle*co
Madrid
can
go
from
defending
to
geung
behind
the
opposi*ons
midfield
to
bear
down
on
their
defence.

Long
Ball
To
Diego
Costa
Diego
Costa
is
usually
the
main
target
in
Atle*co
Madrid’s
offensive
transi*on
and
here
is
one
example
of
that.
Juanfran
wins
the
ball
in
a
central
area
and
it
falls
to
Koke,
who
looks
forward
and
plays
an
instant
pass
to
Diego
Costa.
Costa
has
dragged
his
marked
into
a
wide
area
and
created
space
for
himself.
Costa
heads
the
ball
back
to
the
unmarked
Turan
who
can
aBack
immiediatly
and
he
plays
a
through
ball
into
the
ball
of
Diego
Costa.
David
Villa
also
makes
a
run
in
the
centre
of
the
pitch
to
engage
the
opposi*on
defendres
and
also
to
give
Diego
Costa
a
passing
op*on
when
he
gets
closer
to
the
opposi*on
box.

Exploi*ng
Opposi*on
Tac*cs
Diego
Simeone
has
a
fantas*c
aBen*on
to
detail
when
it
comes
to
analysing
opponents
and
here
we
can
see
Atle*co
Madrid
exploi*ng
the
opposi*on
using
their
fullbacks
when
aBacking.
Getafe
are
trying
to
aBack
but
a
poor
pass
is
player
straight
to
Juanfran
who
recognises
this
as
a
chance
to
counter
aBack.
He
instantly
drives
forward
and
Adrian
bends
his
run
into
the
space
leH
by
the
fullback
to
receive
the
ball
from
Juanfran.
Adrian
aBacks
the
wide
area
forcing
the
opposi*on
central
defenders
to
come
wider,
despite
only
having
a
2v2
against
the
Atle*
strikers,
and
this
leaves
David
Villa
unmarked
at
the
back
post
to
tap
in
from
Adrian’s
cross.
From
their
own
box
to
in
the
back
of
the
opposi*on
net
in
just
9
seconds!

Offensive
Transi*on
Summary
Atle*co
Madrid
are
excellent
in
their
offensive
transi*ons
and
it
really
is
a
strength
of
how
they
play
and
we
can
see
how
effec*ve
they
are
in
the
goals
they
have
scored
from
counter
aBacks.
Some
of
the
key
aspects
in
there
offensive
transi*on
are:
Very
Fast
In
TransiQon
We
have
seen
just
how
quickly
Atle*co
Madrid
can
win
the
ball
and
fashion
themsleves
a
goal
scoring
opportunity.
They
are
organised
when
defending
and
the
forward
thinking
players
know
exactly
where
and
when
to
run
to
receive
the
ball.
Strength
of
Diego
Costa
Diego
Costa
is
having
a
great
season
and
that
is
due
in
part
to
Atle*co
Madrid
playing
to
his
strengths.
He
is
very
fast,
strong
and
also
a
great
finisher
in
the
box.
He
is
the
main
out
ball
in
their
offensive
transi*on
and
he
is
tough
for
opposi*on
defenders
to
stop
once
he’s
in
full
flight.
TacQcal
Understanding
of
Opponents
Diego
Simone
analyses
opponents
and
knows
their
weak
areas
in
transi*on.
For
example,
most
teams
in
La
Liga
aBack
with
their
fullback
so
it’s
not
uncommon
to
see
Diego
Costa
take
up
a
wide
posi*on
or
for
the
midfielders
of
Atle*
to
drive
into
that
area
when
they
win
the
ball.

Story
AHer
10
Games
La
Liga
Table
Champions
League
Table
The
tables
opposite
show
how
things
stand
aHer
the
10
game
period,
but
doesn’t
tell
the
full
story.
Atle*co
Madrid
went
unbeaten
in
the
period
in
this
analysis
piece.
They
won
6
games
and
drew
4
across
the
10
games.
They
dropped
points
against
Villarreal,
Barcelona
and
Sevilla
in
La
Liga,
and
were
held
to
a
draw
in
Russia
against
Zenit
in
the
Champions
League.
Atle*co
Madrid
have
done
a
lot
to
not
only
strengthen
their
growing
reputa*on,
but
to
also
put
themselves
in
genuine
conten*on
for
a
league
*tle
for
the
first
*me
in
many
years.
Their
‘No
Fear’
approach
against
Barcelona
showed
many
doubters
that
they
are
prepared
to
go
toe
to
toe
against
the
strongest
teams
in
Europe,
and
con*nue
to
play
with
the
same
style
of
play
that
has
grabbed
the
aBen*on
of
many
fans,
pundits
and
other
respected
people
within
the
world
game.

Strengths
OrganisaQon
Atle*co
Madrid
are
excep*onally
well
organised
in
defence,
possibly
the
most
organised
team
in
Europe,
and
this
has
become
a
huge
asset
for
this
team
shown
by
the
low
number
of
goals
conceaded
this
season.
TransiQons
A
huge
strength
of
this
team
is
their
speed
of
transi*on
both
aBacking
and
defending.
The
speed,
intensity
and
aggressiveness
of
their
transi*ons
are
very
difficult
for
any
opposi*on
to
exploit.
They
are
one
of
the
best
counter
aBacking
teams
in
Europe
this
season.
Pressing
The
high
line
held
by
Atle*co
Madrid
combined
with
their
tac*cal
pressing
game
has
shown
to
be
very
difficult
for
opposi*on
teams,
of
any
level,
to
deal
with.
Direct
Style
of
Play
The
directness
of
Atle*co
Madrid’s
style
of
play
and
the
players
they
have
carrying
it
out
have
paid
dividends
in
a
league
tradi*onally
known
for
a
very
different
style
of
play.
Work
rate
Atle*co
Madrid
have
a
*reless
work
rate,
which
is
demanded
by
the
manager.
Whether
it
be
their
pressing
or
through
specific
tac*cal
instruc*ons,
Atle*co
Madrid
work
give
100%
effort
100%
of
the
*me

Weaknesses
Space
Between
Units
When
Atle*co
Madrid
aBack,
they
do
so
in
numbers
and
this
can
some*mes
cause
them
problems.
They
oHen
leave
a
20
yard
gap
between
the
two
central
defenders
and
the
closest
suppor*ng
midfield
player.
This
has
also
shown
to
be
an
issue
when
teams
drop
off
against
them
as
the
long
ball
forwards
doesn’t
find
an
Atle*
player
Leaving
Space
When
Pressing
Atle*co
Madrid
use
a
high
intensity
pressing
game
and
some*mes
when
their
pressing
is
just
a
liBle
off,
the
opposi*on
can
play
out
and
aBack
their
weaker
areas.
Possession
Atle*co
Madrid
play
most
of
their
matches
in
transi*onal
phase
due
to
their
style
of
play.
They
have
shown
to
be
excellent
in
transi*on,
however
some*mes
they
could
benefit
by
keeping
possession
and
perhaps
res*ng
on
the
ball
to
draw
teams
out
before
playing
their
more
direct
football.
Mentality
This
Atle*co
Madrid
team
are
new
to
figh*ng
for
the
league
*tle
at
this
stage
as
well
as
the
Champions
League
and
some*mes
thei
mentality
to
see
out
some
games
has
been
called
into
ques*on.

Final
Thoughts
Over
the
last
10
matches
I
have
learned
a
lot
about
Atle*co
Madrid,
their
style
of
play,
their
tac*cs
and
their
players.
On
the
surface
Atle*co
Madrid
look
like
a
long
ball
team
but
when
you
scratch
the
surface
you
can
see
the
tac*cal
analysis
and
understanding
that
Diego
Simeone
drills
into
his
players.
The
movement
of
their
players
is
fantas*c
and
they
compliment
each
other
very
well.
The
ever
changing
tac*cs
and
forma*ons
would
be
tough
for
any
team
to
manage
but
Simeone’s
men
seem
to
go
from
match
to
match,
and
tac*cal
instruc*on
to
tac*cal
instruc*on,
seamlessly.
I
think
the
biggest
thing
is
Simeone
looking
at
the
Spanish
league
and
how
football
is
played
there
and
flying
in
the
face
of
that,
and
seung
up
his
team
to
exploit
every
weakness
in
the
tradi*onal
Spanish
style
of
play.
They
play
out
from
the
back,
we
press.
They
don’t
like
physical
confronta*on,
we
use
intelligent,
powerful
players
who
will
fight
for
every
ball.
If
Atle*co
Madrid
played
in
some
other
leagues
they
would
be
chas*sed
for
their
style
of
play,
but
aHer
looking
at
them
closely,
we
can
see
that
they
are
a
lot
more
than
your
average
team.

Thank You For Reading
Kieran Smith
Licenced Football Coach
All work in this
presentation is my own
and is not to be copied.

Atletico Madrid - 10 Match Tactical Analysis

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