Overthrown La Liga champions Atlético Madrid secured third position as well as the all-important final automatic Champions League qualifying spot with a 0-0 draw against Granada CF in the final match of the 2014-15 season.
Diego Simeone continued with the 4-4-2 formation that has been favoured in recent weeks, however, with no Mario Mandžukić, Arda Turan and Fernando Torres available due to injury, Simeone opted for Raúl García to partner Antoine Griezmann up front, Saúl on the right side of midfield and Raúl Jiménez a place on the bench.
With Granada in a relegation dog fight with UD Almería, SD Eibar and Deportivo La Coruña, and a draw not certain to maintain survival, the home team came out with a direct approach to attack and secure a win. However, for Atléti a draw was all that was needed in safeguarding third from Valencia, who were playing Granada’s relegation rivals, Almería. Their play reflected this somewhat, with Atléti happy to let the game go by and hold possession.
Simeone was largely shown to be frustrated on the touchline throughout the match as Atléti offered little quality in attack. Griezmann was frozen out well by Jean-Sylvain Babin and Diego Mainz, particularly in the first half, where chances were few and far between.
It was much of the same in the second half as Atléti was happy to sit behind the ball and score on the counter, but aside from Koke producing a long range volley in the 56th minute, Granada goalkeeper Roberto had a comfortable evening.
The crowd remained alert to the news emerging from other relegation battles, with whistling from all sides of the pitch alerting Granada to its safety. The final whistle saw both teams secure their goals, bringing about a pitch invasion by Granada fans as they celebrated safety, with second tier football previously seeming inevitable.
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Simeone needs to invest in the summer
The way Atléti plays makes it a solid unit that is hard for oppositions to open up and ultimately defeat. The system works well against higher-ranked sides such as Real Madrid, Valencia and Sevilla, but not so much against lowly Granada and the like. Atléti should be able to adopt a different style of play and be able to create clear cut chances. What cost Atléti to lose its crown this season, besides defeats both home and away to Barcelona, was the nine draws that Atléti suffered. Those came about because of its defensive counter-attacking mentality.
The game against Granada, no easy trip on paper, should have seen a more attacking display from Atléti. However, with no Turan, Mandžukić or Torres, Atléti seemed too direct in trying to get the ball to Griezmann, who was well marshalled by Granada’s defence. With Juanfran and Guilherme Siqueira both providing attacking runs, only García would be able to convert a header if a decent delivery was crossed in. It shows how vital the trio is to the side, irreplaceable when absent. If Atléti wants to replicate the 2013-14 season and reclaim the La Liga crown, Simeone must find quality signings that can create a presence up forward.
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Raúl Jiménez needs to go out on loan
Sadly for the Mexican international, with both senior forwards Mandžukić and Torres out injured, he was overlooked in favour of the hard working García to partner Griezmann. Whilst García has provided Atléti with important goals this season, the situation that Atléti found itself in could have opened up an opportunity for Jiménez to prove his quality. With Atléti’s players seemingly happy to play for a draw, there were no risks taken and the youngster did not receive a rare starting berth.
Whilst Atléti could not afford to lose this match, Simeone may have a point in selecting García over Jiménez. However, at the age of 24, the forward needs to be playing regularly and should be given a chance to play a season on loan elsewhere if the chances remain hard to come by at Atlético. For a team that is known to give youngsters chances to impress, such as Saúl this season, it is strange that Jiménez has not had as many opportunities. For his development, a season away from Madrid looks a good option. Like the match yesterday, six minutes to impress is not enough.
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