Almeria vs. Atletico Madrid: Winners and Losers from La Liga Game
Almeria beat Real Sociedad in the early kick-off on the weekend to record their first victory of the season.
They sold numerous important players in the summer, but they are slowly developing a new understanding in attack.
Atletico lost on their last visit to the Juegos Mediterraneos stadium and wouldn't be feeling confident after the 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo.
It was the last game of Diego Simeone's league suspension, with the Argentine manager forced to watch the match behind the glass once more.
Here are the winners and losers from Almeria against Atletico Madrid:
Winner: Ruben Martinez, Shot-Stopper
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The goalkeeper may have been on the losing side, but it would have been a lot worse without Ruben.
A couple of acrobatic saves from Tiago and Raul Garcia kept the scores level in the first half.
Then, there was little the former Barcelona product could do about the only goal of the game.
If Almeria is to avoid the drop this year, then he will be vital to the team's chances, although he's still to keep a clean sheet this term.
Loser: Tomer Hemed, Misfiring Forward
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The Israeli striker hasn't completed 90 minutes this season and is without a goal as well.
This was his earliest withdrawal yet, and although he was void of service he didn't exactly cover himself in glory either.
His strike rate for Real Mallorca last season was poor, but he did have his injury problems.
Almeria finished just one place above the relegation zone last term, and goals from the now-departed Rodri and Aleix Vidal were crucial.
The team has to find a way to take advantage of Hemed's aerial strengths but without firing needless crosses into the area where he's outnumbered.
Winner: Arda Turan, Creative Force
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Arda Turan's importance to this side is growing by the match.
His work rate, eye for a pass and dribbling technique meant he was involved in everything that was good about Atletico's play.
He made 27 attacking third passes (10 more than nearest player Koke) and completed more tackles than anyone else on the pitch, per FourFourTwo Stats Zone.
This all-round performance shows that he not only possesses the skill to combat tight defences, but also embodies the spirit of Simeone.
Loser: Antoine Griezmann, Lack of Potency
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The French winger was deployed as a striker with Raul Garcia also interchanging into the position.
It's not his natural role, and he struggled to provide the cutting edge that his side desperately needed.
With Mario Mandzukic missing with a broken nose and Raul Jimenez taken out the team it was an opportunity to stake a claim for a regular starting berth.
But the former Real Sociedad player appears to need an out-and-out striker to act as a foil for his advancing runs.
As the game progressed, he was forced to drop deeper to pick up the ball and attempts to push his team forward.
He will be hoping for a sustained run in the team but perhaps as a trequartista.
Winner: Miranda, Brazilian Beast
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Centre-back Miranda now has three goals in five La Liga starts this campaign.
This is both a fantastic achievement for the Brazilian and indicative of Atletico's failure to formulate many goalscoring opportunities.
His header at the near post from a Koke corner broke the deadlock after Atleti had struggled creatively from open play once more.
The defender's form saw him recalled to the Brazil squad for recent internationals after he was left out for the World Cup in his home country, via Goal.com.
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