Atletico Madrid vs. Espanyol: Winners and Losers from La Liga Game
Atletico Madrid returned to the winners list in La Liga on Sunday, defeating Espanyol 2-0 in a scrappy affair at the Vicente Calderon.
In the lead-up to the game, the theme surrounding Los Colchoneros had been the need for a strong response to the 3-1 loss to Valencia prior to the international break, with Diego Simeone's anger at his players' lack of intensity at training during the week heightening the sense of a title hangover for Atleti.
On Sunday, the defending champions eased their manager's concern to some degree, overwhelming Espanyol in the air to secure a confidence-restoring—but far from memorable—victory.
Just prior to half-time, it was Tiago who opened the scoring for the hosts, completing a superb, looping header past Kiko Casilla after Gabi floated a ball across the penalty area following a corner.
Despite failing to develop any sense of fluency, Atletico doubled their advantage through Mario Suarez late on to seal the result when Jose Maria Gimenez won an aerial duel in the box to find the feet of Suarez for the simplest of tap-ins.
Across the following slides, we examine the winners and losers from Sunday's clash.
Winner: Tiago
1 of 5
Tiago has easily been among Atleti's finest performers this season and continued to be so against Espanyol on Sunday.
Of course, his sublime, looping header past the outstretched hand of Kiko Casilla to open the scoring just prior to half-time was his most telling contribution, but the Portuguese was also the man who drove the home side's intensity in the first half.
Sliding in for tackles, launching himself at aerial duels and harassing the likes of Sergio Garcia, Lucas Vazquez and Jose Canas, Tiago embodied the fire Diego Simeone demands of his players to be his side's key figure prior to his second-half substitution.
Loser: Mario Mandzukic
2 of 5
The lack of goals coming from Atletico Madrid's crop of forwards is becoming a genuine concern, with Mario Mandzukic among those struggling to make an impact in attack.
On Sunday, the Croatian had another frustrating afternoon, unable to regularly get in behind the visitors' back four and squandering one of the few chances he had with a tame left-footed strike following a counter-attack.
Lacking the dynamism and mobility of Diego Costa, Mandzukic's presence up front forces Atletico to be very one-dimensional, with his effectiveness for the defending champions appearing limited to aerial duels and set-piece situations.
Unless Simeone is prepared to alter his team's shape to complement the former Bayern Munich forward's physicality with pace and creativity, Atleti's dominance in the air will continue to be their only real avenue for scoring.
Winner: Gabi
3 of 5
Gabi's sub-par form this season had been one of Atletico Madrid's bigger issues prior to Sunday's game, with his failure to recapture his brilliance of last term symbolic of his side's sluggish start to the new campaign.
Encouragingly, Gabi completed a vastly improved display against Espanyol to help guide his team to an important victory.
In the centre of midfield, the 31-year-old had more touches than any other player on the pitch according to WhoScored.com, controlling the game's tempo with his passing while also setting up Atletico's opener by providing the cross for Tiago's header.
Gabi's distribution also opened up the visitors on several occasions, providing chances for Raul Garcia and Mario Mandzukic with his pinpoint long balls from both open play and corners.
Loser: Sergio Gonzalez
4 of 5
It's been a recurring theme for teams to visit the Vicente Calderon this season and find themselves overwhelmed in the air and beaten by Atletico Madrid's set pieces.
As it keeps happening, it continues to reflect poorly on opposing managers who seem unable to devise methods to quell Atleti's most obvious—and right now, perhaps only—threat.
On Sunday, both goals conceded by Espanyol were born from set-piece situations, with Tiago and Jose Maria Gimenez winning decisive headers in the box above the visitors' defence.
Of course, knowing it's coming is one thing; being able to stop it is another entirely. But the way in which Simeone's men dominated the aerial duels—numerous other close shaves came from set pieces—left Sergio Gonzalez as the latest opposition boss to walk away from the Vicente Calderon having failed to conjure a method to suppress Atleti's primary strength.
Winner: Jose Maria Gimenez
5 of 5
Awarded a rare league start thanks to Miranda's poor display in the loss to Valencia, Jose Maria Gimenez capitalised on the opportunity given to him on Sunday by Simeone to be one of the home side's outstanding players.
In defence, the 19-year-old looked extremely comfortable alongside Diego Godin, mopping up nicely on the few occasions Espanyol threatened and dominating in the air when the visitors played directly into the box.
The Uruguayan also played a leading role in Atletico Madrid's second goal, climbing above a pack of players to nod the ball to the feet of Mario Suarez, who tapped home from point-blank range.
A regular starter for his national side, Gimenez's strong display on Sunday will ensure that competition remains strong in the centre of Atleti's defence.
