Atlético Madrid’s Season Is A Complete Failure. Again. | OneFootball

For veteran observers of Spanish soccer, seeing Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid capitulate on every single front this season is nothing new. For the longest time, Los Rojiblancos have tried to disrupt the Real Madrid-Barcelona duopoly. Despite lifting league titles here and there and having deep European runs whenever they can, they remain perennially overshadowed by their city rivals and Camp Nou.

But this season Atlético Madrid was an absolute horror show of missed opportunities and agonizing near-misses. Boasting a squad loaded with world-class talent, and coached by one of the greats, Atlético Madrid are limping into the season’s end with zero trophies. Zero.

It’s a masterclass in failure again.

Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Champions League

If there is one competition that defines the heartbreak of Atlético Madrid this season, it is the UEFA Champions League. This was supposed to be the year they finally exorcised their European demons, and their journey began with decent promise.

During the League Phase, they secured vital wins against the likes of Inter Milan and Eintracht Frankfurt but lost crucial games to Liverpool and Arsenal away and had to play an extra round to qualify for the knockout stage.

Atleti have scored 3rd most goals in UCL this season. Credits: UEFA

Their reputation for defensively-minded “haram ball” was replaced by an aggressive attacking mentality.

In the knockout rounds, they looked like a determined side. They masterfully dispatched Tottenham Hotspur in the Round of 16 and then pulled off a stunning quarterfinal upset by defeating Barcelona 2-0 away from home to advance to the final four.

A semifinal clash with Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal

The first leg at the Metropolitano was a tight classic that ended in a 1-1 draw. Julián Alvarez and Viktor Gyökeres scored a penalty apiece in a game with very few openings. Atlético traveled to North London knowing they needed a defensive masterclass to reach the final and just one goal to make history.

But what followed at the Emirates Stadium was pure frustration. For 43 minutes, they were executing Simeone’s game plan to perfection. But then Bukayo Saka found his moment, capitalized on an error from Matteo Ruggeri and Dávid Hancko, and scored the goal that sent Arsenal to the final.

The second half became a story of desperation. Atlético threw everything forward, but they could not break Arsenal down. Robin Le Normand looked completely bullied, while Marcos Llorente could not handle the pace of Arsenal’s midfield. Simeone tried everything. Bringing on Alexander Sørloth, throwing on Álex Baena, and replacing an unfit Alvarez with Thiago Almada. But nothing worked.

Griezmann, a legend of the club playing his last Champions League game for Atléti, looked every bit his age, struggling to find rhythm. Passes kept going astray, crosses failed to meet the right heads, and tempers flared as the final whistle approached.

And as always, Atléti choked again.

Atlético Madrid in the Copa del Rey

At one point, the Copa del Rey looked like absolute certainty. After Real Madrid and Barcelona’s eliminations, the latter at the hands of Atléti themselves, Simeone’s men looked like clear favorites.

They navigated the early rounds well, squeezing past Atlético Baleares and Deportivo La Coruña. In the quarterfinals, they unleashed a statement 5-0 thrashing of Real Betis. The semifinals involved a staggering 4-0 demolition of Barcelona at the Metropolitano, winning 4-3 on aggregate, making them the undisputed favorites to lift the trophy.

But when they reached the final at La Cartuja against Real Sociedad on April 19, everything fell apart. The match ebbed and flowed for 120 exhausting minutes, finishing 2-2. Atlético showed incredible heart, only to be pegged back by a relentless Basque side.

In the shootout, two of the most dependable goalscorers for Atlético Madrid this season completely collapsed under pressure. Julián Alvarez and Alexander Sørloth both saw their penalties saved by the Real Sociedad goalkeeper Unai Marrero in the opening two rounds. From there, La Real controlled the shootout and secured the Copa del Rey title on penalties.

Atléti had dominated the tournament, only to let the trophy slip through their fingers because of a catastrophic failure of nerve from their biggest stars at the very end.

Atlético Madrid in La Liga

The bread and butter of any club is the domestic league campaign, and Atlético’s month-by-month trajectory tells the story of a team that simply was not good enough over the season.

When the season kicked off in August, the mood around the Riyadh Air Metropolitano was electric. Atlético had spent heavily on major reinforcements, but barely got off the ground running.

The signings made by Atlético Madrid this season. Credits: Fotmob

They failed to win any of their first three games and sat outside the top 10 during the opening five matchweeks. A historic 5-2 win against Real Madrid on Matchday 7 was the first time they broke into the top five, and it looked as though momentum would finally carry them toward a serious title challenge.

But then winter arrived, and Atlético Madrid completely unraveled. They lost twice in December, had an unbeaten January, then suffered two more defeats in February. By April, their entire focus had shifted toward the Champions League and Copa del Rey. Since a top-four finish was almost secured in La Liga, they effectively sacrificed the league by fielding academy players and heavily rotating the squad for cup competitions.

As it stands, they sit fourth in La Liga with 4 games to go, 25 points behind leaders Barcelona. Simply not good enough.

Players for Atlético Madrid This Season

The Good:

Julián Alvarez

The Argentine was the only consistent spark all season, scoring 20 goals in all competitions. Ten of those goals came in the Champions League.

Alexander Sørloth

Operating as the Plan B option, the Norwegian did exactly what was asked of him. He chipped in with 12 league goals, finishing as the club’s top domestic scorer.

Dávid Hancko

In a backline filled with errors, the Slovakian was the most consistent performer and looked like a genuine leader in defense whenever fit.

The Bad:

Conor Gallagher

Without a doubt the most glaring failure of the season. Signed to become the engine of Simeone’s midfield, he completely failed to adapt to life in Spain. Simeone shipped him back to England during the January transfer window.

Jan Oblak

Oblak is officially in decline. Juan Musso has arguably looked better whenever called upon, and Oblak’s save percentage dipped noticeably this season.

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After a season that promised a lot of hope and a change in fortunes for the club, one has to wonder, where do they go from here? No fairytale ending for Antoine Griezmann, the club is back to zero and for sure, questions will be asked of Diego Simeone’s future.