Angel Correa's Argentina Debut Shows What He Can Bring to Atletico Madrid Attack

For a player with just over half an hour of competitive action under his belt this season, it shouldn't necessarily be the case that Angel Correa is generating too much of an impression—but the manner of his cameos means that's exactly what he is doing for both club and country.

Correa made his senior Argentina debut on Saturday night, a late substitute appearance against Bolivia in which he took just four minutes to find the back of the net, the last goal in a 7-0 victory.

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GOL DE ARGENTINA! Ángel Correa with a first-time finish to score his first Argentina goal a couple of minutes into his debut!

— Sam Kelly (@HEGS_com) September 5, 2015"

That, allied with his impressive impact on his Atletico Madrid debut toward the end of August, briefly showed what Atleti can expect over the course of the season as he contributes to their fight for success—and why he might turn out to play a significant part.

Forget the Highlight Reels

A debut goal is fantastic for the player, of course, but we're discounting much of the "headline" aspect of things in discussing Correa. Bolivia were fairly shambolic, Argentina dominated throughout, and when Correa came on after 81 minutes, the score was already 6-0. He was facing a beaten, demoralised defence, and nine minutes is no great span to judge a player's ability or impact.

However, he was making his debut for Argentina—World Cup finalists, Copa America finalists and possessors of an attack that started with Kun Aguero and Ezequiel Lavezzi and finished up with Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez, as well as Correa himself. That he is even considered to play a part alongside these players means Atleti fans know they have a big talent on their hands.

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

The same can be said for Correa's Atleti debut; despite a season on the sidelines following heart surgery and the consequent recuperation period, he was one of the first attacking substitutes Diego Simeone turned to once La Liga got underway—even with the heavy recruitment drive in the final third the team embarked on over summer.

Small minutes, small showings, but it was time on the pitch that was clearly warranted and borne of trust in the player, not just in his talents.

Roles

Correa featured for Argentina from the left of a front three in his time on the field, a similar role to that in which he debuted for Atletico against Las Palmas on the opening day of the season. His pace and movement then, and again in Houston, Texas (where the Argentina-Bolivia friendly was played out), showed a keen eye to make use of space both on and off the ball.

A diagonal run across the defence brought about Correa's debut goal, a fine first-time finish that owed everything to timing, confidence and technique.

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VINE | Ángel Correa, mais um. 7-0 (oficialmente, VIROU PASSEIO!) by @ActualFutbol. pic.twitter.com/UZ1S9cK9A1

— Guia do Futebol (@OGuiadoFutebol) September 5, 2015"

For a little added intrigue for Atletico fans, the player who fed the defence-splitting pass to Correa was Matias Kranevitter—the 22-year-old midfielder, also making his senior debut for his nation, whom Atleti have just signed from River Plate.

Shortly afterward, a similar run from Correa almost brought about another goal for Argentina, while some neat footwork down the left channel was similar to the control on the ball the young forward brought to Atleti's game as they saw out the win against Las Palmas. He is strong, has a good first touch and his pace and movement are almost prerequisites for top-level forwards.

While he has yet to be utilised in a central role by Atletico, he offers another indication of Simeone's ability to change around the setup of the team from 4-4-2 to 4-3-3 with great ease.

Challenges and Targets

The biggest issue facing Correa, of course, is time on the pitch.

Antoine Griezmann, Jackson Martinez and Fernando Torres have all shared the two forward roles so far this term. Luciano Vietto still awaits his debut. Add in Oliver Torres, Saul Niguez and Yannick Ferreira Carrasco, and there is huge competition for three places, with the other three midfield spots (in either formation) practically sewn up by consistency, quality and experience.

GERARD JULIEN/Getty Images

Realistically, Correa will be an impact sub for Atleti in league games, an outlet for them to utilise on the counter when leading or to be a tricky on-the-ball option able to work in tight spaces when they are chasing a goal—though he won't always be the go-to choice in either case. Copa del Rey games will also be vital for him to up his minute count.

He should be aiming to feature for around 1,000 to 1,200 minutes of game time in all competitions this season; doing so would indicate he has continued to improve and impress his manager and remained a serious option for the team's progression. Goals, both scored and created, will follow if he spends that sort of time involved with the team.

Correa is one for the forthcoming seasons rather than one who might suddenly be a first-XI choice by the winter break, but he most certainly has the ability to feature regularly—for club and country, seemingly—as he fights to become more established.

Follow @karlmatchett