The Rojiblancos have figured out how to beat their city rivals this year and Carlo Ancelotti doesn't seem quite sure how to respond
Diego Simeone threw himself into the celebrations. Of course he did. That's what Diego Simeone does. His Atletico Madrid side had just pulled off another classic victory, a signature, but slightly evolved smash-and-grab against Real Madrid.
As usual, they were out-passed, out-shot and out-passed by their bitter rivals. They picked up 20 fouls to Madrid's 13. They probably should've had at least one red card. But when the final whistle blew after a chaotic extra time, Simeone's side were dancing on the pitch after a 4-2 win.
Victory over their bitter rivals has been a familiar feeling for Atleti this year. Simeone's side have struggled in La Liga, and already seem to be facing a scrap to sneak into a Champions League spot next year. But when Los Blancos come to town, Simeone's magic activates. The teams have met three times already this season, Atletico have won two, and lost a third in extra time.
It's a surprise for Los Blancos. Carlo Ancelotti's side have been near-unbeatable this season, losing just twice in all competitions. Both of those have come against their Madrid rivals.
The concept of the 'bogey team' is very much present in modern football. Until recently, Pep Guardiola's Man City simply could not beat Spurs. Arsenal, for years, didn't get results against Liverpool. And for Madrid, Atleti are a near-impossible task.
On Sunday, when the two teams meet in what will be a crucial Liga clash in the scope of the season, Ancelotti's side will need to figure out how to break the cycle.
Getty Images Keeping Bellingham quiet
Los Blancos' success this season has started and ended with Jude Bellingham. The English midfielder has set Europe alight in a false nine role, serving as equal parts goal scorer and playmaker – while also eating up ground like a box-to-box centre-midfielder.
He has scored 18 goals in all competitions, surpassed records previously held by a certain Cristiano Ronaldo, and done everything to show that he deserves Zinedine Zidane's number. We are just past the midway point of the season, and Bellingham is the Ballon d'Or frontrunner by some distance. Even Ancelotti didn't expect him to be this good.
"We are surprised, with his level and his effectiveness above all," the Italian admitted in October. "He can easily reach 20-25 goals."
But for some reason, Atleti have managed to stifle his impact. On September 24, when the two sides met for the first time, Bellingham turned in arguably his worst performance in a Madrid shirt to date. Playing in a slightly deeper position for the first time, the English midfielder was dragged into a physical battle, and seldom had room to breathe when on the ball. He only had one shot, was forced to operate well away from the Atleti box, and was lucky to avoid a second yellow card for a hard foul late on.
Bellingham was much improved in the two side's subsequent meetings, but failed to score in both of those games. The Englishman is certainly the victim of his own success here. Still, Atleti have identified Madrid's best player – and limited his impact.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTargeting weaknesses
And then, there's the other side of the game. Simeone isn't known for his attacking football, but Atleti have certainly become a more expansive unit over the last 18 months. It can be traced back to Antoine Griezmann's masterful World Cup campaign, where the Frenchman pulled the strings for Les Bleus in a de facto No.10 role. Simeone pinched that idea for his own side – and built a gung-ho unit as a result.
This Atleti team, accordingly, has become masterful in finding areas to exploit. In the first Madrid derby of the season, that meant diagonal switches over the head of reserve right-back Lucas Vazquez. Atleti identified the full-back's lack of athleticism as an area to exploit, and the rapid Samuel Lino ran him ragged all evening. All three goals on the night were either started or finished by the former Valencia man. Vazquez only lasted an hour, before being replaced by the less mobile Nacho – who suffered much the same fate.
In their Copa del Rey tie last week, Simeone identified different points of attack. Los Blancos were just recovering from an injury crisis in midfield, and a glut of options in central areas – few of which were entirely fit. Simeone, accordingly, packed the middle of the park with runners, and Atleti simply had more legs once the game went to extra-time. They hit twice on the break to seal a 4-2 win.
Getty ImagesThe Simeone vibes
The appeal of the Argentine manager stretches beyond his tactical nous and increasingly curly, greying hair. His strong suit, of course, has always been his connection to the Rojiblancos faithful. That much was at its purest form in the two sides' Copa del Rey clash in mid-January.
This was a different kind of match-up from the first two of the season. The first had been an unlikely Santiago Bernabeu scrap, the second a Supercopa defeat in Riyadh, when both sides ran out of legs as the clock wore on. But Ancelotti's side were a more prepared unit for the clash at the Metropolitano. Simeone called on the fans to provide the kind of hostile atmosphere that would rattle their city rivals.
"Real Madrid is in a great moment of form," he said prior to the clash on January 18. "Hopefully we can send energy to our people." And they obliged.
The stadium was a thunderous place, Simeone orchestrating a chorus of cheers and boos with wild gestures towards the crowd throughout. He played a role himself, almost coming to blows with Vinicius Jr after the Madrid winger taunted the Atleti bench. His celebrations after the Atleti fourth were certainly genuine, but perhaps slightly performative in response.
The antics spread to his players, who threw themselves into tackles and made their best effort to sell every foul. A Madrid side that contained the experience of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric inevitably lost their head. That doesn't just happen by accident and it seems inevitable that the ground will be just as hostile on Sunday.
Getty ImagesThe brilliance of Antoine Griezmann
This won't all be sh*thousery, though. Atleti aren't that bad these days – not all the time, at least. The Griezmann redemption arc with Atletico fans is th stuff of legend. The French playmaker has gone from club legend, to Barcelona traitor, to one of the great underrated players in football – all within a five year period.
His ill-advised move to Catalonia in 2018 almost tarnished his relationship with the Rojiblancos' faithful, but his performances since his return have built whatever bridges had been damaged. These days, Griezmann functions much in the way that he has dominated for France, a hardworking No.10, with the creative chops to change a game at any moment – think Bellingham, but smaller, left-footed, and with silly hair.
Los Blancos have been his favourite target this season, the Frenchman scoring three and assisting one in their four contests so far. He was particularly magnificent in the Copa del Rey clash, his whack into the net from an impossible angle sealing the cup victory.
Madrid, in some ways, allow Griezmann to play to his greatest strengths. He's an expert at finding holes in central midfield, and progressing the ball under pressure. Los Blancos, for all of their nous and experience in the middle of the park, have to balance the ageing legs of Kroos and Modric. They are easy to hit on the break, at times, something that suits Griezmann by his very nature.