PSV takes Wednesday in the eighth finals of the Champions League against Atletico Madrid. VI analyzed the team, defensively perhaps the best organized team in the world.
‘Arda Turan did not understand that apart ahead also could run backwards, Juanfran did not play as a back Diego Godín was not at its current level and Filipe Luís rarely came into action. ” The words of Diego Simeone. The Argentine coach of Atlético Madrid looks in the spring of 2014 back on his first few months in the Spanish capital. The reserves from Atlético in relegation distress he took over in December 2011, Simeone has already turned into stars of a champion team. On May 17, 2014, the Spanish league title won at Camp Nou with a 1-1 draw against Barcelona. Arda Turan, who left the field in tears in the 23th minute because of injury, the unexpected success celebrated by parading a Turkish flag on the field.
On January 30, 2016 State Barcelona – Atlético Madrid on the program. Turan where the year and a half ago, 23 minutes lasted base player with visitors, he must do it this time by 23 minutes as a substitute in the home team. The former star of Atlético elected a supporting role at Barcelona over a key role in the team’s 45-year-old Simeone. That he could not play for six months the transfer prohibition of the Catalan club he takes casually into the bargain.
The transfer of Turan draws relations between Atlético Madrid and the other two Spanish clubs. Real Madrid and Barcelona to work with a plurality of the budget of Atlético and attract new world stars every transfer window. Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar the most feared vanguard in the world, Real put there with Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo impressive alternative opposite. Atlético have to content themselves with players with a scratch. When these second-hand cars by Simeone be increased to a Ferrari, they are invariably still bought away from Madrid.
the star of Atlético is not on the field, but is in the dugout. Coach Diego Simeone pulls namely for the fifth season in a row the impossible by challenging the elite clubs without deep pockets. The secret of Simeone is that he let his team play a very different game than the competition. The Argentinian understands that it is impossible to surpass the playmaking and the aesthetics of the game of Barcelona with Atlético. So Simeone introduces the black magic of the defense. Atlético can never be the best club in the world in possession, but without the ball is to have the Rojiblancos to none.
This philosophy gave Simeone and his associates already the Europa League (2012), European Super Cup (2012), Spanish title (2014), Copa del Rey (2013) and Spanish Super Cup (2014) on. Only the Champions League is still missing in the trophy cabinet. In 2014, Atlético was against city rivals Real Madrid just seconds away from winning the Cup with the big ears , but Sergio Ramos made deep in extra time 1-1. The extension Atlético then went without a chance 4-1 under. That trauma will handle Simeone by winning this year indeed.
Renovation
To achieve success in the Champions League to allow the playing style of Atlético last summer underwent a minor renovation. “Everybody likes the ball great, but I’m not so fond of, because the ball just means that opponents can adapt easily,” always heralded the motto of Simeone. “I want action.” However, since the arrival of the Argentine Atlético have never had so much possession and such purity as high ball this season. That does not mean Simeone suddenly a fan of careful positioning, a subtle change was simply necessary to keep Atlético competitive.
| Seasons | Possession | Pass Purity |
| 2012/13 | 48.2 | 76.9 |
| 2013/14 | 49.0 | 77.0 |
| 2014/15 | 49.4 | 76 , 3 |
| 2015/16 | 49.8 | 78.7 |
Working on the game ball was a necessary evil for Atlético. In the year 2014/15 were less than 35 of the 67 league goals scored directly from a corner kick, throw-in, free kick or penalty kick. In terms of chances created and goals from open play were the Rojiblancos only an average performer in Spain. More and more opponents it flatly refused to make the game to be against Atlético and sex on the counter attack. It made the people of Madrid had more and more trouble making goals. Moreover Simeone noticed that his players were ready for something new. “This team needs a new motivation. We have been working together a long time and so the players know my method. I therefore believe that this selection requires a change to make a step forward. We can build a new team from a new philosophy. I am one hundred percent convinced that this is the right time to do that, “said the Atletico coach last summer.
In order to permit this change, the selection was renewed. Arda Turan (Barcelona), Mario Suárez (Fiorentina), Raúl Jiménez (Benfica), Raúl García (Athletic Bilbao), Emiliano Insua (VfB Stuttgart), Mario Mandzukic (Juventus) and Miranda (Internazionale) were sold. Fresh blood came Stefan Savic (Fiorentina), Luciano Vietto (Villarreal), Yannick Ferreira Carrasco (AS Monaco) and Jackson Martínez (FC Porto) and Filipe Luís was called back to Chelsea after a year to Madrid. This winter there were Augusto Fernández (Celta Vigo) and Matías Kranevitter (River Plate) by, while Martínez made a lucrative transfer to China after six disappointing months.
Weapons
The new Atlético mostly has more offensive weapons. Up front this season only top scorer Antoine Griezmann certain place. Fernando Torres can play as a striker alongside him, while Ferreira-Carrasco, Ángel Correa and Vietto prefer to reciprocate Griezmann. Griezmann, Ferreira-Carrasco and Correa are also frequently deployed on the wing, allowing Simeone depending on the opponent may vary in its vanguard.
As the starting formation changes Atlético this season the familiar 4-4-2 with a 4-1-4-1-system. Juvenile Products Saúl Ñíguez, Óliver Torres and Koke these tactical variations. They do not conform to the prototype of a Atlético midfielder: a physically strong fighter, who mostly wins a lot of balls. Saúl, Óliver and Koke should have the right of their technical skills and tactical understanding. Defensively they stand their ground, but they also like to have the ball at his feet. As a result, they can play both at the side of the middle, as in the center. This makes it possible for Simeone to fall in with the same players in different formations.
The attack game Atlético is oriented to the left. Left back Filipe Luis (ex-Ajax) is happy on the sidelines and founded as danger. The left midfielder, usually Koke or Ferreira-Carrasco, makes room for the course of action by the Brazilian moving to the center. Also, the midfielder on the other side often pulls the direction of the axis, so that the 4-4-2 of Atlético in possession of the ball appears to be a 4-2-2-2. In the 4-1-4-1 formation, the wingers sides are often busy better, though even then come to the center. Another factor is there is only one controller, so this variant Simeone and his associates helps when they have to make the play.
The team of Atlético is also more creative than in previous years. In the competition, the Rojiblancos now almost as many goals scored from open play as last season. Moreover, it carried more successful dribbles than in previous years under Simeone. This makes Atlético has become a team with two faces. The team that plays direct football and try to strike on the counter still exists, but sometimes also a Atlético visibly showing fine positional play around the goal of the opponent. That does not mean suddenly risks are laid in the game, 1-0 win Simeone takes more than adequate.
An unintended negative consequence of the changes at Atlético is that the team is less effective in standard situations. Simeone has always paid much attention to set pieces and so this was an important offensive weapon Atlético. Last season Madrileños were less than thirty goals from set pieces, more than any other team in the five European leagues. The departure of a number of strong topping (and recovering deft dribbling anus) Atlético this season scored only six times from a corner kick, throw-in or free kick.
| 2012/13 | 21 |
| 2013/14 | 18 |
| 2014/15 | 30 |
| 2015/16 | 6 |
defense
defensive game Atlético is actually based on simple probability. Simeone makes his team far slump and makes the playfield very compact, in order to prevent the opponent can be dangerous. Atlético do that by simply indefensible large parts of the field. Madrileños are interested only in the central zone around the penalty area, because races are decided.
This means that PSV are likely going to have a lot of possession. On the half PSV should probably quietly pass around the ball and around the center circle Atlético will make little if to give pressure. Simeone’s team used this ball right to organize themselves perfectly. Are often the focus at the height of the first defensive midfielder on the left. The rear and middle board are close to each other. The movements of the Atlético players are then matched to the ball rather than the opponent. Atlético ensures that the mutual distances remain small, so that the team as a whole appears to move across the field.
If PSV ball has to ashes, the Atlético players will all be in the center. This has two purposes. First, it creates a trap. Almost the entire team of Atlético is placed in a very small space, making it extremely difficult to reach the other players in this danger zone. It is almost impossible to enter this area without losing the ball. Second Atlético entice the opponent to play the ball to the side. “The air is our best defender,” goes a saying in football Spain. If the ball goes to the wing, Atlético could imprison opponents there by moving the entire team in that direction.
The chances of success in pressing in that zone is large, because the air limits the options and tilt quickly to additional restricted. The risk is actually very small, because the path to the goal is still long and the ball quickly to the other side (where Atlético in ondertal), is virtually impossible. By cleverly waiting for the good times, Atlético this season has performed in Spain, the most successful tackles (25 per game). The Simeone fighter team’s only game as it knows that balwinst is likely.
Los Rojiblancos can dominate games without the ball. By acting on smart they determine where the game takes place: in places where it poses no threat to Atlético. Simeone’s men have a game on average ten shots have to, least of all the teams in Spain. In 25 league matches was only 52 times (2.1 times per ninety minutes) actually have a shot on goal. Goalkeeper Jan Oblak brought salvation 41 times and was passed eleven times. That Atlético together with Bayern Munich the least passed defense in Europe. By comparison, PSV goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet had 24 Eredivisie matches 87 (3.6 times per 90 minutes) shots on goal to process nearly twice as much as Oblak.
The heart of Atlético is formed by two Uruguayan defenders. Diego Godín (30) has been a tower of strength, while the 21-year-old José Giménez effortlessly took over the place of Miranda. The central defenders are especially important in defusing high balls from the wing. For PSV strikers Luuk de Jong (suspended next game) and Jürgen Locadia is a thankless task to go to the air duels with the Uruguayan demolition.
Sometimes overtakes Atlético opponents by putting forward fanatical pressure in a phase. Often this happens in the first quarter of the match, as recently in the away match with Barcelona. Teams often prepare all week for the defensive play of Atlético and adjust their game plan accordingly. If they suddenly are confronted with high pressing, all thought out ideas in the trash immediately. If the tactic of surprise Simeone has been successful, Atlético takes all the love back into the defensive positions. It typifies the Argentine coach, always doing everything possible to disrupt opponents. Or as Simeone puts it. “We want to be troublemakers. We like the team everyone hates to play against. “
Although Atlético Schedule is always focused on the crushing of the spaces and protecting the center, Simeone puts in every duel other accents. “We’re trying to have a Plan A and a Plan B, for different games. It’s different to play against Eibar than against Barcelona, ”said the Argentine coach. In the away match with Barça for example, he came up with a 4-4-1-1 variant, making defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets was not given the freedom to give the game the Catalans of reverse form.
Moreover, Atlético also puts pressure directly as the ball deep to forfeit half of the opponent. To do this, the same logic applies as in the pressing on the side. In the first few seconds after balwinst a team often not well organized and, moreover, has just made an effort, so the chances of success in pressing is relatively large. If this goes wrong, there is still no man overboard, because the path to the goal is still long. If you are unable to immediately retrieve the ball, Atletico will try to delay the attack so that it can organize around their own penalty area.
Hope
PSV against Atlético especially hope in the fact that he is not in top form. Diego Simeone Defensive fog in the middle of the injured Thomas Partey and Tiago, allowing Gabi (32) is the only remaining balafpakker. By suspensions and injuries Simeone was recently also puzzling in the back, allowing midfielder Saúl against Eibar (3-1 win) central landed back. Atlético front can additionally lack Ferreira-Carrasco (ankle), leaving the team sometimes lacks creativity.
The away match with PSV is also planned at an unfortunate moment for Atlético. Sunday is still home against Villarreal (0-0) played while Saturday’s crucial away game against city rivals Real Madrid on the program. Atlético will have little time to recover and that the Eindhoven can play in the map. (Peter Black)
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