Atletico Madrid Lose Their Cool When Facing Real Sociedad at the Wrong Time

Defending is an art that appears to come naturally for Atletico Madrid. Yet, one might argue that the bulk of the club's defensive work this season has not actually been completed on the pitch, but in fact from behind the microphone. 

Indeed, throughout countless interviews and press conferences, Atletico have been forced to defend the manner of their play amid consistent criticism of what others perceive as their overtly aggressive methods. 

In recent months, Diego Simeone, Arda Turan and Cristian Ansaldi have all refuted suggestions that the defending La Liga champions regularly cross some sort of moral and ethical line on the pitch—an issue that was raised by Carlo Ancelotti last season when the Real Madrid boss described his crosstown rivals as "violent."

Whether or not you agree with the disapproval is likely to depend on how you view the balance between the spectacle and the commodity of variety. But if there was ever a night in which Los Colchoneros could have their approach questioned, it was Sunday against Real Sociedad at the Anoeta.

Meeting a club fresh from sacking their manager is always a tricky affair. Footballers, inherently, prefer to know what they're in for; anticipation standing as a key fundamental in success.

Teams in the position currently occupied by Real Sociedad, however, can be an unnerving and unpredictable mess for sides with title aspirations, for there's often no middle ground: They either fall into a ghastly muddle and look for the nearest exits, or they conjure a steely response to the uncertainty and catch you on the hop.

On Sunday, it was the latter that transpired.

Despite conceding an early lead to the visitors, there was a noticeable vibrancy to La Real under caretaker manager Asier Santana, as the home side got underneath the skin of their more esteemed guests. Atletico, so accustomed to dominating the physical battle, found themselves looking decidedly uncomfortable in the face of such feistiness. 

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Just prior to Carlos Vela's superb equaliser, it was Mario Suarez who drew the referee's attention for a crude foul. In a heated contest, it was the first card of many. 

Minutes later, after Real Sociedad had pegged back the visitors, both Turan and Juanfran needlessly talked themselves into yellows, seemingly incensed with little more than slight contact and a 50-50 throw-in call. 

La Real, it seemed, had caused a small wave of anxiety to sweep through the unsuspecting men from the capital. And had the remainder of the opening half been a boxing match, the hosts would have comfortably edged the points battle, creating significantly more chances in front of goal, with only Diego Godin's clearance off the line after Miranda's awful back-pass keeping the score deadlocked heading into the break. 

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So often, when matches are finely poised like this one, we're used to seeing this incarnation of Atletico grind down their opponents, sapping their will to compete through physicality and eventually feeding on a battered carcass. 

But that ruthless method founded upon a typically unshakable composure was missing at the Anoeta, as Guilherme Siqueira rashly drew two yellow cards in as many minutes after half-time to send the visitors down to 10 men, drawing an enraged response from Atleti's players despite both being straightforward decisions.

Only moments later, Mario Mandzukic was then extremely fortunate to escape a straight red card and the concession of a penalty when he clipped Vela's face with his shoulder and drew blood from the Mexican's mouth. 

Right there, it was obvious: Simeone's men had lost their cool, crossing the line that separates aggression from clumsiness and handing the initiative to Real Sociedad in the process. 

Eventually, after more than half an hour with a numerical advantage, La Real capitalised on their rattling of Atletico, claiming three invaluable points through Imanol Agirretxe's smart header. 

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For Real Sociedad, no statistic outside the scoreboard mattered. For Atletico, there was one: eight yellow cards (there could have easily been more).

Against a side that entered Sunday's clash with one win from 10 games while residing in a state of limbo without a permanent manager, that's a clear indication that they lost all sense of control.  

And while they might lament the timing of their visit to San Sebastian, it was the way Atletico carelessly overheated that should really be lamented.