From chaos to being the perfect team in a weird year: Simeone and Atletico Madrid show that time heals all wounds

Now after that disater-class of a Madrid derby, Atletico de Madrid still sits twelve points clear of Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table. They’re level with Real Madrid at the same time with Real Sociedad and Villarreal close behind challengers. The thing about either side, despite their performances this season, has been the fact that Villarreal were hovering around the relegation zone last season while Sociedad were battling mid-table mediocrity.

Because in a condensed and fixture heavy season, where teams are forced to play games every three to four days, things will get complicated for the teams that love a high-press. That includes Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, Real Madrid, RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and so many others. Tired legs come into play, hamstrings start tightening up and then slowly but steadily it forces managers to opt for plan B.

An air of dominance that one hasn’t felt since Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona swept the world off their feet and all that is emanating out of the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. Because while there has never been a better chance to win the La Liga, and might never be a chance as golden as this, Atletico seems to be the only ones in a perfect position to do what they need to do and win another league title. Just imagine if you said that ten, twelve, games into the 2013/14 season where they actually did win the title.

You’d be thrown into a loony bin and locked up for the rest of your life. Because at this point of that season, Atletico de Madrid were second and Barcelona were leading the pack. Real Madrid were close behind them with Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao not too far behind. And even then, nobody had pegged Diego Simeone’s boys to even come close to lifting the title, maybe they’d manage a top-four spot and play Champions League football. 

It was a side that could do things and they hadn’t even signed Marc Andre-Ter Stegen yet, so imagine what they could actually do. But things have clearly changed and for one thing, a lot has happened at Atletico de Madrid because not even ten months ago, they were in complete chaos. Five-game winless run and rumours about Diego Simeone no longer being the right man, and after the losses of key players, you’d expect the club to struggle.

Saul Niguez and Jan Oblak’s words at half-time during a game against RB Salzburg had us all laughing and then wondering the same thing, that teenager has got magic in his boots. That unproven, €130 million punt has got magic in his boots and is, arguably, the best player in Spain right now. And, it may just be a coincidence but Joao Felix is doing it while playing in that free-role that a certain Argentine did under Pep Guardiola and he’s turned into a magician.

And the thing is, he’s doing it all for Atletico de Madrid, a team and a manager that has snuffed out many creative flames in the past. But then you look at Yannick Carrasco’s resurgence as a proper footballer, Luis Suarez playing like a man wronged by Barcelona and Marco Llorente’s transformation into a goal-scoring second striker after finding his high against Liverpool and then realise that all they needed was time. Time to sort out the chinks in the system, to get acclimated with El Cholo and then produce results.

Of course, their record in the Champions League is rather spotty with eight conceded in their six group stage games but even makes them better than anyone else. Because that makes it a grand total of thirteen goals conceded in nineteen games, something that not even Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham can compete with (19 goals in 20 games).

Come back to Spain and second-placed Real Madrid have scored 27 and conceded 14 but they’ve played fifteen games and that just adds to everything. Because Atleti, after ten games, sits atop the La Liga table and on top of that, they’ve got two games (against Sevilla and Levante) in hand thanks to a break at the start of their season. Should they win that, their lead at the top of the table will turn into six points. 

But that performance has been symbolic for many that Atleti have produced since. Dominance from most of the opening 90 minutes before eventually running out of steam just as they’re about to clamber onto the summit. It's exactly why that loss to Real Madrid has many fans concerned because for the first time this season, Atletico didn't just look tired and struggled to play their football but they looked like they were outclassed.

It's the first time this season that Atletico looked truly out of their depth and that's where the heart of a true title challenger comes alive. Because now, they've got the chance to put all their demons behind them and surge forward, ignore this loss and place it in the "one-off" category. The chance to prove to the world that one loss means absolutely nothing, no matter how big it may seem, especially in football's most unpredictable season. And so far, they've done just that but Atletico de Madrid have ways to go.