Atlético de Madrid have arrived at the first international break of the season having picked up eight points and remaining unbeaten. The balance of this start has been two draws and two wins, the last of which was against Athletic Club in Bilbao. However, there is still something that causes some concern in the red-and-white team for this season.
Antoine Griezmann remains one of Simeone's most trusted players and, arguably, the player with the most quality. He has already made his debut in the scoring department, opening the scoring against Girona after a great free kick. However, he still needs one point to reach his best form and avoid the problems he suffered last season.
Simeone waits for Antoine Griezmann
The French striker remains one of the fundamental pillars of this Atlético de Madrid , despite the signings. The forward line has been one of the areas of the field that has been most reinforced, thanks to the arrival of Julián Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth . Even so, Antoine Griezmann remains an irreplaceable piece in Simeone 's plans, although he must reach his best level.
The footballer has not had an easy summer, receiving some criticism during the Euros while wearing the France shirt. For many, Antoine Griezmann had finished last season with some physical problems , giving the impression of being very exhausted. Obviously, he was one of the players who accumulated the most minutes in his legs among the five major European leagues, being undisputed at Atlético de Madrid .
One of Simeone 's goals for this season is to avoid this and to be able to have the best Antoine Griezmann in the decisive moments. He has already started some games from the bench, but he still has to finish getting into the rhythm. Now, he has left for the France squad, where he will be able to continue adding minutes to show his best performance.
Connection with Julian Alvarez
The Argentine striker has played in every game so far, and is becoming more and more adapted. It is true that he has not scored yet, but he needs to acclimatise to Simeone 's style of play and mentality. What seems clear is that his connection with Antoine Griezmann up front is starting to work, and they are a very used pairing.
In the last two seasons, the French striker has been Atlético de Madrid 's top scorer, a task that needs a replacement. Increasingly, his position has been pushed back, contributing more to the creation and moving away from the tip of the attack. This is where the new signings will have to step up, as both Julián Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth have shown great goalscoring instincts .
An exciting season
Antoine Griezmann has already made Atlético de Madrid history by overtaking Luis Aragonés to become the all-time top scorer. Now, his main objective is to win more trophies with the Colchoneros, something that requires his best form. Simeone has already shown that he will not hesitate with rotations and the Frenchman will be able to be the leader when the most important matches arrive.