La Liga – Tactical Analysis – Rayo Vallecano 0 Atlético Madrid 2

La Liga – Tactical Analysis – Rayo Vallecano 0 Atlético Madrid 2

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Atlético Madrid dramatically scored a quick double late on, courtesy of Ángel Correa and Antoine Griezmann, to secure the points and continue the pressure on league leaders Barcelona.

The importance of winning this fixture was clear for both sides after each suffered disappointing losses last weekend and it was evident from the opening whistle with Atléti and Rayo generating chances. Saúl Ñíguez was the first to try his luck, with his left-footed shot from outside the box flying wide of the left post. Manucho then had an effort of his own, however his shot was narrowly too high.

Atléti then grew into the game, creating chance after chance, knowing full well that an early goal will deter a Rayo side currently struggling. However Griezmann, José Giménez, Yannick Ferriera-Carrasco and Diego Godín all squandered their chances to give the away side the advantage. Atléti’s wastefulness with their finishing would nearly come back to haunt them, with Zé Castro only just missing with his header as the ball scraped above the top-right corner of Jan Oblak’s post.

Both teams opened the second half as the first started, looking to grab the vital opening goal. But a worrying concern for both Diego Simeone and Paco Jémez was their sides’ inability to utilise chances with shots either off target or poorly struck. Simeone was the first to make changes as he knew a point would not be sufficient, bringing on the attacking threat of Correa for Óliver Torres and Thomas Partey for Fernando Torres.

Oblak was called into action yet again in the 73rd minute, making an important save to deny Trashorras in what looked to be a certain goal with the Slovenian at full stretch to keep his side in the game. Godín soon had three chances following a corner but his efforts were saved, off-target and off the post.

Just when it looked to be another day of poor Atléti finishing, Simeone’s three substitutions played a crucial role. Partey gifted Correa a perfectly-timed ball which the Argentinean volleyed into the back of the net, giving Yoel no chance in the 88th minute. Things would become worse for the home side. Only a minute later, substitute Jackson Martínez’s picked out Griezmann, who made no mistake in doubling the lead and gifting Atléti a crucial victory.

Formations

Simeone decided to make a change to the reliable 4-4-2 formation following the deserved loss at Málaga in the previous week. Gabi was suspended after the captain was sent off last week, so the manager decided to experiment and utilise a young three-man midfield consisting of Koke, Saúl and Óliver. Luciano Vietto’s lacklustre performance gave Torres another chance to score his 100th goal for Atléti, who was supported by Griezmann and Carrasco on the wings. The impressively reliable Jesús Gámez was given another rare opportunity in the starting XI, replacing Filipe Luís in his left-back role in otherwise an unchanged back four.

Jémez, who had seen his side lose the last four games, notably the 10-2 thrashing at the hands of Real Madrid last week, decided to shift from his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation to a 3-5-2 formation which gave Javi Guerra much needed help up front with Manucho Gonçalves the man to support the Spaniard. The two red cards suffered against Real saw a new back three of Quini, Zé Castro and Dorado. Diego Llorente also came in to anchor the midfield alongside fellow midfield enforcer Trashorras.

Paco Jémez’s gamble of playing 3-5-2 nearly paid off

It was always going to be hard for Rayo against an Atléti coming off a run of four consecutive losses, especially after suffering such a huge loss to Real last weekend. Yet the suspension following the two red cards in that match made Jémez dig deep and still pick a team capable of kick-starting Rayo’s season. With the need to start picking up points to move away from the relegation zone, Jémez could not afford to see his side sit back. Instead, the 3-5-2 formation gave Rayo much needed spark in the final third with Guerra receiving crucial support.

And while Rayo saw defeat again, their performance against the joint-league leaders was efficient and effective. If not for the impressive Oblak in goals, Rayo may have seen victory well before Atléti’s substitutions entered the pitch and changed the game. Not only did Rayo dominant possession, they also fared well against a physical Atléti side, having superior duels won, both on the surface and in the air. Jémez’s men can take comfort in knowing they gave the second-best Spanish team a real fight and were unlucky not get the win themselves.

Gabi and Tiago’s absence clearly evident with Atléti’s poor possession and passing

Simeone’s two central-midfielders do more than just support and protect the back four. Their contribution in retaining possession is enormous. While a midfield trio of Koke, Saúl and Óliver gives fans excitement of the prospect of a midfield consisting of true home-grown Atléti players, their lack of strength and ability to control possession is evident but will hopefully come in due time. Yet for the meantime, it is clear that the absence of both Atléti’s premier holding midfielders is vital for the Madrid side to control the game.

Atléti had a poor passing accuracy against Rayo, with 65% compared to Rayo’s 72%. Along with their limited possession, Atléti only mustered 201 passes, with Rayo having a sufficiently larger number of 311. Matías Kranevitter’s arrival may help solve Atléti’s lack of a true defensive midfielder, yet the new man will need to get accustomed to his new surroundings and team mates, and may not feature for some time. With Gabi returning when the season continues in the New Year, the captain will need to keep a cool head as his influence in the midfield is vital.

Martínez looking sharp on his return

While it was a small 20-minute cameo by the Colombian, the former Porto man looked dangerous from the moment he entered the pitch. More importantly, his impact with set pieces drew the opposition away from fellow set piece targets Godín and Giménez, who both had space and perfect opportunities to score.

The Colombian will be satisfied with his assist and overall contribution especially with the doubters continuously piling the pressure on the hit man. With Torres and Vietto in underwhelming form, Martínez has a great chance to cement his place in the starting XI with performances like these. If Martínez can produce performances like this, Atléti have another striker they can rely on, something Simeone has been in need of this season.

Conclusion

Both sides could say they deserved the three points, however the quality is what it took to separate the two, particularly the depth at Simeone’s disposal. Rayo enjoyed the lion’s share of possession with 52% compared to Atléti’s 42%, perhaps due to the absence of both Gabi and Tiago. However, the away side was able to absorb the pressure and play on the counter. Seventeen shots with only six on target is a poor reflection on Atléti’s current state in finishing, especially when considering the Madrid side is the joint league leader.

A worry for Simeone is the fact that for two straight fixtures, Atleti faced opposition that was in the bottom half of the table and struggled to take advantage against supposedly easier opposition. Against Málaga, they got punished for poor finishing and were well held. At Rayo, Atléti deserved victory even though the manner of the goals could be seen as a lucky. Rayo, on the other hand, will be disappointed their losing run continued after a well-earned draw against the second-placed team appeared imminent. Despite that, their efforts will give them confidence.

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