End to weeks of much madness at Atlético de Madrid after a commendable draw at Santiago Bernabéu to keep up with Real Madrid. The result could have been anything, as the red-and-whites didn't capitalize on their counterattacks and the opponent had moments of siege on the colchonero goal. Whatever the case, now they face a much lighter schedule in which the players should take the opportunity to rest.
However, there is something that has been concerning at the Metropolitano for some time, especially in matches against very demanding opponents. It is true that Simeone has been able to find a fixed formation that allows him to get the best performance from most of his footballers, although another step is needed. In fact, there was a decision that many fans didn't understand in the match played last Saturday and that gave much to talk about.
Simeone's Decision
Without a doubt, Atlético de Madrid showed two very different faces against Real Madrid, with a good first half and a second half with many more complications. Something that left a very bitter taste in the red-and-white team was the performance of Antoine Griezmann, who was far from being at his best level. Obviously, he is one of those players who needs very little to be decisive on the field, but that wasn't the case at Santiago Bernabéu.
In fact, there were quite a few fans who thought the Frenchman should have been substituted for Alexander Sorloth, leaving Julián Alvarez on the field. However, Simeone's decision was quite the opposite, taking off the Argentine and leaving the Frenchman on the left wing. It is evident that Antoine Griezmann wasn't at the same level as in other matches, something that already happened in Paris or Barcelona.
Antoine Griezmann Remains Decisive
Even so, it is very difficult to take off the French striker in a scenario where Atlético de Madrid needed to get that final pass right to win the match. During the 90 minutes, the red-and-whites managed to string together several passes and find the defenders' backs, but they failed at the decisive moment. That aspect is one of Antoine Griezmann's virtues, although it can't be said that he had his best night on Saturday.
He remains the second top scorer of the squad and has had very good performances in recent weeks, but he seems to be running low on fuel. The upcoming schedule will allow Simeone to have the player much more rested just before facing the most critical moment of the season. All the squad members are giving 100% performance, and that is demonstrated when staying in the fight for all the titles.