The 2-2 draw between Atlético Madrid and Villarreal left several topics of debate among football fans and experts. One of the points that has drawn the most attention was the performance of Jan Oblak, Atlético's star goalkeeper, who has been crucial to the team for years. However, his current form has generated comments, especially from an authoritative voice like Kiko Narváez.
The words of a legend
During the program El Larguero on Cadena SER, Kiko Narváez shared his analysis of Oblak's current form at Atlético de Madrid. The former player acknowledged that, although the Slovenian has been one of the best goalkeepers in the world, his level is no longer the same as before. Narváez stressed that "miracles have disappeared," referring to the spectacular saves that defined Oblak's game in the past.
Despite the criticism, Narváez qualified his words by stating that "an Oblak at 70% still seems to me to be a reliable goalkeeper." For Kiko, Oblak has been so good that even in his current version, far from excellence, he is still a reliable goalkeeper. However, the Slovenian no longer seems to be the insurmountable wall that used to save Atlético in extreme situations.
Words after the poor performance against Villarreal
Narváez's comment referred specifically to a mistake Oblak made during the match against Villarreal. In the second goal of the yellow team, a faulty exit by the goalkeeper allowed the ball to slip through his hands, hit Koke and end up in the goal. It was an unfortunate moment that raised alarm bells about the physical and mental form of the goalkeeper, who seems to be far from his best version.
Narváez also spoke about Atlético de Madrid's defence, which was slow and disorganised in several phases of the match. According to him, players such as Axel Witsel, Le Normand and César Azpilicueta had difficulties stopping Villarreal's quick transitions. In the first goal of the match, Danjuma got past Witsel too easily, exposing problems in the Atlético de Madrid defence.
The keys to defensive weakness
For Narváez, one of the keys to this defensive weakness is the lack of pressure in the centre of the field. The former player pointed out that Atlético's players did not press effectively, which allowed Villarreal to get the ball out cleanly and create dangerous chances. This, added to the deficiencies in defence, put Oblak in trouble, as they can no longer solve all the problems as they did before.
Despite these accusations, it is important to remember that Jan Oblak remains a key player for Atlético de Madrid. As Narváez mentioned, his current form, although far from optimal, is still enough to provide guarantees between the sticks. But expectations have always been high for him, and that is the consequence of having spoiled both fans and experts with memorable performances.