Atletico is the major disappointment of the season

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After the match against Inter, the Atletico draw is either good, very good or nothing. Borussia are next, and that’s the best draw possible. In the final, Atletico will only meet Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, or Arsenal. And it is possible to imagine Simeone’s gang in the final, given their cup-winning nature and lucky draw.

In 12 years, Simeone has never made the team stable

Atletico had no such turbulence. On the contrary, the club kept Griezmann and eliminated the toxic Felix. Carrasco left, but Samu Lino has been a great fit in his place. Last season, the team tried the scheme with three centre-backs and got used to it. Atletico looked the most stable and ready against a troubled Barça and Real Madrid, still rebuilding.

Of course, nobody could have predicted a miracle in the form of Girona. But now Atletico is not only behind them in the table but also Real Madrid and Barça. Madrid is closer to fifth place than to third. That’s a bad result. Yes, there are still a dozen rounds ahead, and theoretically, Atletico can improve their position. However, it is hard to believe, given how unstable Simeone’s team is.

Another missed title

Madrid had a great chance to win the King’s Cup. They knocked out Real Madrid and fell to Athletic, who knocked out Barça in the semi-finals. At the other end of the grid, Real Sociedad and Mallorca – a near-perfect arrangement – but not for Atletico.

Since the first Champions League final in 2014, Diego Simeone has greatly changed Atletico. There is no “bus” in sight. That Atletico is a purely defensive team is said either by those who haven’t watched football for a long time or by those who do but from a helicopter. In recent years, Simeone’s team has played much more with the ball, there have been different schemes and ways to get the ball into attack. Take this season: in 28 La Liga matches, Atletico have scored 54 goals. That’s almost two goals per game – that’s decent.

That said, Simeone has not changed the essence of Atletico. His team remains a puncher. So much for that word – but it best captures the nature of Atletico. During the years of Cholo’s tenure, Madrid has never learnt how to produce consistent quality over the long haul and consistently take “their” points.

But that leaves the Champions League. And that’s where Atletico will show off! That’s where he belongs, with his puncher’s gut. And today, with Barça, we can try to get back into the race for the top three. However, after all the emotions shown in the Champions League, it will be difficult.