Why Atlético Madrid’s defence is the best in European football

Why Atlético Madrid’s defence is the best in European football

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It takes a truly special team to knock out the two best teams in Europe consecutively, but that is exactly what Diego Simeone’s Atlético managed to do to book their ticket to a second Champions League final in three years, where they will once again meet cross-town rivals Real Madrid in another Derbi Madrileño.

Holders Barcelona were dispatched of in the quarter-finals, while German powerhouse Bayern Munich were beaten in semi-finals. The way in which Los Rojiblancos edged out two of the greatest club sides in recent times was not very pleasing on the eye, but it demonstrated how ruthlessly efficient Cholo Simeone’s men are. His side shares all the characteristics of Cholo in his playing days, and no team works harder off of the ball. No team has conceded fewer goals in Spain than Simeone’s well drilled side either.

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In both quarter and semi-final ties, Atleti saw far less of the ball than their more celebrated opponents, but were able to capitalise through blistering counter-attacks, often finished off by French international Antoine Griezmann. The second leg of Los Rojiblancos‘ quarter-final tie with Barcelona at Vicente Calderón saw Simeone’s men stifle Lionel Messi so much that the five-time Balon d’Or winner did not manage a single touch in the Atleti box. A similar job on Cristiano Ronaldo is expected in the final in Milan, a player equally as difficult to stop, but a player who Atleti have recently kept quiet with ruthless efficiency. Atleti’s defence was breached only 18 times in La Liga this season, a statistic that makes for incredible reading when you consider champions Barcelona conceded 29 times.

In the all Uruguyuan centre-back partnership of Diego Godín and José Giménez, Simeone has, statistically, one of the meanest centre-back pairings in football since the Baresi-Maldini partnership which helped propel a breathtakingly brilliant AC Milan side to back-to-back European Cup successes in 1989 and 1990 respectively. Cholo’s two first choice full-backs Juanfran and Filipe Luis are also two quick, intelligent and hard-as-nails defenders, capable of creating lightning-fast counter-attacks. Simeone’s well drilled defence has seen Slovenian keeper Jan Oblak keep an incredible 34 clean sheets in all competitions this season, a statistic that further emphasises just how difficult Los Rojiblancos are to break down.

Despite the odds being stacked against Simeone’s men, and his team regularly losing its star players every season, it is truly remarkable how Atleti still manage to pull off miracle after miracle each season. A lot of this comes down to Cholo’s influence on the players. The former Argentina international instills such belief and fearlessness in his players that they put everything on the line in order to win. If you get past Los Rojiblancos‘ last line of defence, you will, more often than not, be fouled. Atleti’s physicality, discipline and incredible compact defence stifles even the strongest teams with relative ease, and the speed in which they close players down and limit space is incredible, and stands as testimony to Simeone’s philosophy – defend, be aggressive and score on the counter.

The last time Atleti faced Real Madrid in La Liga in February, Simeone’s men ran out 1-0 winners in the Santiago Bernabeu, thanks to a Griezmann goal at the end of a well worked move in a spirited defensive display. Former Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, who guided Real past Atleti in the 2014 final said recently that Atleti are the worst opponents Zinedine Zidane’s men can face in the final. In recent years, Simeone’s men have always got the better of their cross-town rivals, with the exception of the 2014 Champions League final. Cholo and his troops know how to get under Real’s skin like nobody else, and it will be this win-at-all-costs approach that could finally see Atlético Madrid lift their maiden European crown in Milan on Saturday.

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