It was telling that Alexander Sorloth was on the bench, and much more in order that Antoine Griezmann joined him. Diego Simeone, famend for taking various weeks, if not months, to acclimatise his new signings, began the La Liga marketing campaign 5 new faces within the line-up. Earlier than final summer season, solely Marcos Llorente and Jan Oblak from this beginning XI had been taking part in for Atletico Madrid. Simeone appeared to be looking out not just for changes, however one thing totally completely different.
And he bought it. With Thiago Almada and Alex Baena nominally behind Julian Alvarez, they performed the place they wanted to. Touches had been costly, one or two, not often greater than three at a time. By no means sufficient to get caught with it. Los Rojiblancos nimble, to unpick the lock, relatively than go round it, or discover a hole with which to pry it open.
It was affected person, at occasions sensible, and once in a while mesmerising. Going through a dogged opponent, Atletico refused to be chased. Nevertheless it was extra akin to hypnosis, or an altogether extra merciless trick. Moderately than the snapping of the fingers, it was the roar of the RCDE Stadium and the howl of one of many United States’ most intimidating assault canine that awoke them 73 minutes right into a dream begin to the season.
Esta noche vimos lo mejor de los Pericos. Vimos lo que se puede lograr cuando el equipo y la afición se unen. Un solo latido. Una sola misión.
Gracias a todos por la cálida bienvenida. Nos hicieron sentir como en casa desde el primer momento.
Habrá muchas más cervezas en las… pic.twitter.com/LJ4pZRwt2P
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) August 17, 2025
Varied turning factors have been used to explain the sport; the zenith of their riveting exchanges coming off the submit by dint of Alvarez’s end, the elimination of Johnny Cardoso on the break, the introduction of Griezmann. The phantasm of management disappeared the moment Miguel Rubio, a giant man within the tallest of bins, slipped previous Jack Raspadori, who was neither fast nor nimble.
At which precise level Atletico went from being in entrance to holding a slender lead isn’t important, however your entire sequence of occasions was traumatic for its acquainted nature. Though it’s true that the physique blows of defeats to Actual Madrid and Barcelona winded Atletico final season, over a month-long interval both aspect of these clashes, Los Rojiblancos picked up a singular level from video games towards Getafe, Espanyol and Las Palmas. Twice they led in these video games, in all three, Atletico had been sooner or later ‘in management’.
🚨 Diego Simeone: “I perceive it’s a part of the journey. This consequence hurts us, however it is going to assist us enhance and develop. I take with me all the great issues the workforce did. We’ll look to scale back the shortcomings that had been additionally evident.” pic.twitter.com/XRnlsW0h9i
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) August 17, 2025
Captain Koke Resurreccion, for therefore lengthy their greatest device for gaining management, the gearstick, mentioned after the match that Atletico lacked effectiveness in each bins by means of clarification. Whereas that’s true to a level, Espanyol landed extra photographs on Jan Oblak’s aim. When Atletico had been compelled to endure, a time period coined by Simeone, and a necessity in each good supervisor’s a number of alternative of responses, Los Rojiblancos may neither play their approach out of it nor battle by way of that interval. Like final season.
“I feel I realized one thing for myself,” Simeone instructed Diario AS after the match, as numerous journalists politely advised that the substitutions didn’t have the specified affect. “I’ll take one thing away from it, however I realized one thing from what we noticed. There’s one thing for me, you’ll see.”
El Cholo is commonly harmless of a lot that he’s accused of, however the place he has modernised an excessive amount of, is within the period of 5 substitutions. His administration from the touchline is antsy, charged and intense – helpful for his gamers’ focus. Final season Atletico regularly made modifications early and normally exhausted all 5 modifications, an inclination in direction of proactivity that unsettled his workforce as a lot because the opponent, in a continuing seek for matches, for changes.
The center part of final season was outlined by 16 stoppage time objectives from Atletico, as they struck knockout blow after knockout blow in emphatic, thrilling vogue. As their power waned within the latter half of the season, all too usually, Atletico discovered themselves on the top of a sucker-punch. Be it the correct modifications, failing to capitalise on a lead, or an incapacity to get off the again foot, Atletico noticed video games slip away in simply the identical vogue as Sunday’s encounter towards Espanyol did.
Happily, it’s simply the primary sport. Atletico can transfer to banish such a spectral defeat into accident territory. On the one hand, Simeone may have realized that he has an thrilling and gifted group of signings with which he can discover new instructions of journey by way of video games. On the opposite, it was a lesson repeated repeatedly final season.