Atletico Madrid vs. Malmo FF: Lessons Learned from Champions League Game
Atletico Madrid made it consecutive Champions League victories on Wednesday, comfortably defeating Malmo FF 5-0 at the Vicente Calderon to add to the victory over Juventus in the previous round.
While the scoreline was eventually lopsided in the Spanish capital, the hosts did endure many of the same chemistry problems in the first half that have hampered the opening to their season, seeing Diego Simeone's men unable to break the deadlock until after halftime.
But once Los Colchoneros grabbed the advantage, they cruised past Age Hareide's Swedish champions.
It was Koke who opened the scoring, completing a delightful sequence of interplay between Antoine Griezmann and Arda Turan on the edge of the penalty area.
Just after the hour mark, Mario Mandzukic poked home Atletico's second, turning in Koke's fine cross from the right before Griezmann secured the home side's third when his partially blocked shot looped over Malmo goalkeeper Robin Olsen.
Diego Godin and Alessio Cerci added the finishing touches in the dying minutes, rounding out an emphatic victory for Atleti.
Across the following slides, we examine the lessons learned from Wednesday's clash.
Antoine Griezmann Is Ready for Consistent Starts
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Antoine Griezmann has been nursed through the opening months of the new season at Atletico Madrid, with manager Diego Simeone appearing eager to avoid burdening the talented Frenchman too heavily with the task of invigorating the team's revamped attack.
Consequently, the 23-year-old has made just seven starts amid six substitute appearances thus far and is still yet to complete 90 minutes for his new club.
After Wednesday's scintillating performance, that's ready to change.
Flying from side to side as a roaming forward in Atletico's attack, Griezmann was Los Colchoneros' outstanding player prior to his removal in the second half, playing a leading role in Koke's opener and creating havoc for the Malmo FF defence before netting his team's third.
Quite simply, the defending Spanish champions have needed an attacking spark, and Griezmann looks like the most obvious candidate to provide it.
Arda Turan Is Among the Most Underrated Players in Europe
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The rapturous response Arda Turan received from fans, team-mates and Diego Simeone when he left the field in the second half against Malmo FF said it all.
The Turk, who's long been recognised as the creative hub of this Atletico Madrid team, had endured an indifferent season prior to Wednesday, making a habit of drifting in and out of games and showcasing his undoubted ability in mere fleeting moments.
But the Vicente Calderon witnessed the very finest Turan has to offer on Wednesday, reminding many of his sparkling capacity as a playmaker in an outfit admired more for its collective strength than its talent.
Starting as a right-sided forward, the 27-year-old enjoyed a flowing combination with Antoine Griezmann that saw Turan pick apart holes across the full width of Malmo's defensive line.
His interchanges with the Frenchman and Koke were a feature of the hosts' performance on the night, with Turan collecting a sublime assist for Koke's opener to punctuate a magnificent display.
Mario Mandzukic Still Presents a Conundrum
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Don't let his sliding, toe-poked goal fool you: Wednesday's performance was not a bright one from Mario Mandzukic.
A peripheral figure in attack—goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya, despite having little to do, had more touches than Mandzukic, per WhoScored.com—Atletico Madrid actually looked significantly more threatening when the Croatian wasn't involved.
An imposing but somewhat sluggish presence, the former Bayern Munich striker is becoming a one-dimensional option for Diego Simeone, only appearing to be capable of having an influence when play reaches all the way into the penalty area.
Of course, he couldn't be more suited to his side's brilliant set pieces, but his lack of pace and inability to keep the ball flowing in open play continues to be a sticking point in this Atleti outfit.
Diego Simeone Has Clearly Recognised the Need for Change
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Atletico Madrid's laboured start to the new season in front of goal has been largely due to the discomfort of the restructuring process caused by the departure of Diego Costa to Chelsea.
In fact, Atleti were so reliant on Costa's scoring prowess that the team's robust and characteristic 4-4-2 has been rendered somewhat toothless in the absence of the Brazilian-born striker.
Goals, therefore, have been hard to come by for Los Colchoneros.
Against Malmo FF on Wednesday, however, Simeone showed a willingness to deploy a more aggressive shape, deploying his team in a 4-3-3 with Antoine Griezmann and Arda Turan flanking Mario Mandzukic in a forward setup with more presence.
The results were profound, as Atletico gradually struck a rhythm that has been missing in 2014-15 with a pair of dynamic technicians complementing a traditional striker in a system we'd love to see more of from Simeone.
Progressive Full-Backs Can Aid Atletico's Attacking Transition
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In addition to the use of an altered starting shape, Atletico Madrid's transition to a post-Diego Costa attack will be made considerably smoother if Diego Simeone regularly allows his full-backs to play as progressively as they did against Malmo FF.
Appearing to break away from their typically conservative positioning, both Juanfran and Guilherme Siqueira were essentially secondary wingers on Wednesday, creating the width that allowed Arda Turan and Antoine Griezmann to exploit the channels between the visitors' trio of centre-backs.
Indeed, the Spaniard in particular was so prominent that he completed 82 touches on the night—a significant tally for a full-back and, Koke aside, the highest figure of any player on the pitch, per WhoScored.com.
That added dynamism down the flanks is exactly what Atletico need to create a more expansive attack in open play, which is hopefully something Simeone will encourage more regularly from now.
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