A Club in transition meets a bulwark of stability
Are Atlético Madrid poised to inherit a period of dominance in La Liga as a club more stable than a Messi-less Barcelona and a Real Madrid with a new manager and without the indominable centre-half pairing which led them to four Champions Leagues in the past decade? With its two main competitors for the Spanish title in the midst of transition, the stability of Atlético seems a distinct advantage. Of the eleven who started at De Kuip on Sunday, four featured in the 2016 Champions League final in Milan; they are led by the same combustible manager, the inimitable Diego Simeone.
Yet such a flourishing will require better displays than they showed on this windy Sunday afternoon in Rotterdam, where Atlético looked toothless despite creating a number of opportunities in the first half, before Yannick Carrasco’s red card shortly before half-time handed control over to Feyenoord for the remainder of the match.
Atlético looked much sharper in the opening phases of the match, forcing Feyenoord keeper Justin Bijlow into a number of smart stops and hitting the bar off a header from Jose Giménez. What was most striking to your correspondent’s eyes was the crispness of the passes delivered by Atlético’s midfield trio of Koke, Saúl Niguez (playing in a left wing-back role) and new acquisition Rodrigo de Paul; standing close to the pitch, it was an absolute pleasure to watch the precision of the aerial passes lofted from midfield by De Paul or Koke. But Feyenoord adapted intelligently, drawing number 10 Orkun Kökcü into a deeper role away from the tenacious marking of de Paul, allowing Feyenoord greater ease in possession after a nervy start, and limiting Atlético’s ability to play through the middle. The Rojiblancos’ attacking struggles were worsened by the near-invisibility of their centre-forward Giulano Simeone, Diego’s son, who proved a poor substitute for Luis Suárez or Joao Felix.
What will stick most in the memories of the 25.000 fans in De Kuip was the fraying of tempers after Carrasco had kicked out against Feyenoord’s promising left back Tyrell Malacia; against a backdrop of cups of beer and lighters cascading from the stands onto the pitch, Feyenoord and Atlético’s players streamed towards the right touchline, a display of togetherness indicative of the two sides’ strengths. Feyenoord’s finances do not permit the outlays of 10 million plus euros which Ajax and PSV have been able to post up for new signings in the past few years, and the club is thus reliant upon the collective being better than the sum of its parts; midfielder Jens Toornstra praised the side’s ‘togetherness’ in the aftermath of the altercation. Atlético, similarly, have been most successful as a well-drilled and disciplined outfit, with Simeone able to get the maximum out of his players. Simeone is always a figure worth keeping an eye on, as a manager whose expressions and outbursts tell an entire story about his team’s fortunes, and Sunday was no exception. His frustration boiled over after Carrasco’s sending-off, and—especially—after Feyenoord’s injury-time winner, when he shoved newly-installed Feyenoord manager Arne Slot. This, in other words, was a friendly match which felt like a competitive fixture, all the more so because of the animation of the supporters in De Kuip.
Next weekend will tell if such a boisterous encounter will leave the clubs extra prepared for their first league fixtures. Feyenoord travel to Willem II, while Atlético begin their title defence away to Celta Vigo.
Inthehalfspace 