Atletico Madrid lost further ground to Real Madrid after a shock defeat to strugglers Alaves, as Antoine Griezmann’s poor displays continue.
It was a great opportunity for Atletico Madrid to keep the pressure on Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga standings. Instead, Diego Simeone’s side shot themselves in the foot as they endured a defeat at the hands of a struggling Deportivo Alaves side, who earned their first win of the season.
The match was a chance for many Atletico players eager to grasp their chances and make an impact, and they all collectively failed to make a mark. Simeone will have much tinkering to do for the next games, as he might see a pattern developing with his team, who struggled to break down a stubborn Alaves defence.
Alaves captain Victor Laguardia opened the scoring with a decent header after Jan Oblak’s poor handling of the situation in the box from a corner. The Rojiblancos tried their best to get back in the game, but the home side held their ground to see out the victory.
As for Atletico, they have to get back their gritty attitude to see out games like these and keep the pressure at the top of the table. The likes of Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suarez have to click together in attack, while their downward form still somehow manages to keep bright spots such as Angel Correa on the fringes. Here are the player ratings for Atletico Madrid stars from their shock loss to Deportivo Alaves.
Jan Oblak – 5/10
Early nerves got the better of Oblak while handling his area, which he usually does quite expertly. However, during the fourth minute, the keeper was poor in dealing with a corner that enabled Victor Laguardia to bury his header past the Slovenian.
Stefan Savic – 4.5/10
Like Oblak’s role in the goal, Savic was caught ball-watching as Laguardia got the better of him for the strike. He needs to add that steel Atletico defence is well known for if they aspire for greater honours this season.
Filipe – 4/10
Diego Simeone’s decision to pick Filipe instead of Jose Gimenez backfired spectacularly. The defender couldn’t get to grips with the game and conceded the corner that resulted in the opening goal — no chance to start the next games in this team.
Mario Hermoso – 5.5/10
Another member of the backline who gave no sense of control in defence. Wayward passing and lack of cohesion were just some of the problems. Replaced by Renan Lodi in the second half.
Kieran Trippier – 4/10
Barring a few decent deliveries into the opposing box, Trippier had an anonymous outing. His lack of contribution on either side of the pitch, particularly in attack, often leaves the side somewhat imbalanced.
Yannick Carrasco – 4/10
Carrasco barely made any notable contributions in the game, as he often found more than one defender marking him. Alaves knew he was a real threat from the left side and always kept him in check.
Marcos Llorente – 6/10
One of the better performers in this Atletico side. Llorente took a team-high three shots, which reflects the poor performance from final third attackers. As for the midfielder, he was trying to knit together a dysfunctional side more often than not.
Geoffrey Kondogbia – 6/10
Simeone drafted Kondogbia back into the starting lineup after he recovered from an ankle problem. The ex-Inter Milan star did not let down his manager’s faith and displayed the grit that other teammates lacked. Kept the midfield together with his energetic display. Unfortunately, his yellow card rules him out of the Barcelona game.
Rodrigo De Paul – 4.5/10
De Paul was playing too deep for the manager’s liking. Simeone wants to see him more as an attacking threat, while the Argentine kept coming back to pick up the ball. Tried his best to create chances with hopeful balls but to no avail.
Antoine Griezmann – 3/10
Yet another poor display from the Frenchman, as Atletico struggled to break the Alaves defence down. It’s quite baffling how much his stock has fallen since returning to the club, and if performances like these continue, Simeone will not hesitate to replace him with Correa.
Luis Suarez – 4/10
Suarez was good with his movements, but his teammates failed to create anything meaningful or break down the packed Alaves defence. Had just one attempt on goal and was unable to keep his form from the previous game.
Substitutes
Renan Lodi – 3/10
Lodi replaced the ineffective Carrasco as Simeone shifted to a back-four. Failed to create anything of substance for the rest of the game.
Angel Correa – 7/10
Angel Correa was a bright spot in a dismal Atletico side. The Argentine got his team’s first shot on target in the 69th minute, which showed the lack of any progress from final third players until that moment.
Matheus Cunha – 4/10
Cunha replaced Kondogbia as Atletico searched for an equaliser. He came close to scoring from a Suarez headed pass but failed to take advantage of a half-decent chance.
Hector Herrera – 5/10
He came on in place of Hermoso to add another dimension from midfield.
Sime Vrsaljko – 4/10
After replacing Llorente, he couldn’t make any notable contributions as Alaves held a tight defence and protected their narrow lead.