Atletico Madrid vs. Real Betis: Things Learned from Pre-Season Friendly

Atletico Madrid claimed the 2015 Carranza Trophy on Saturday, defeating Real Betis 3-0 in the mini-tournament's finale in Cadiz, Spain.

After an experimental XI had needed penalties a night earlier to get past Cadiz, a far stronger lineup from Diego Simeone proved too powerful for the newly promoted Andalusian outfit, with goals from Jose Gimenez, Jackson Martinez and Angel Correa propelling Atletico to victory. 

The match finished a successful pre-season campaign for Los Colchoneros, who have yet to lose this summer while capturing the Jesus Gil Trophy, triumphs in Japan and China, friendly victories over Real Oviedo and Real Sociedad and now the Carranza Trophy. 

Across the following slides, we take a look at what we learned from Saturday's victory over Real Betis. 

The New Atletico Is Still Like the Old Atletico

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"Head-first to the title in Cadiz" read the headline from Atletico Madrid's official website after Saturday's win. 

It was dead right. 

Jose Gimenez's opener came from a header after an Oliver Torres corner. Jackson Martinez's follow-up came from a header after a cross from Juanfran. And Angel Correa's late sealer was also a header from a Filipe Luis cross. 

Three goals, three headers, one routine win. Sounds very Atletico, doesn't it?

Indeed, for all the discussion on Atletico's evolution this summer and Diego Simeone's desire to oversee an internal shift in approach and style, Saturday's game was a reminder that this team will still do many of the familiar things well. Aerial dominance will be one of them. 

So the new Atleti is, well, still a bit like the old Atleti. 

Diego Simeone Has Far Greater Depth at His Disposal This Season

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The fact that Diego Simeone was able to deploy almost two entirely different XIs in the back-to-back matches against Cadiz and Real Betis this weekend said a lot about Atletico Madrid's current depth. 

Up front, the Argentinian is spoilt for choice with Jackson Martinez, Antoine Griezmann, Luciano Vietto, Fernando Torres and Angel Correa.

In midfield, he has the creative talents of Koke, Saul Niguez, Oliver Torres and Yannick Carrasco, plus the stronger bodies of Gabi, Tiago, Raul Garcia and Thomas.

Such strength in numbers, in high-quality options, wasn't evident at the Vicente Calderon last season, when Simeone often felt short of elite talent, particularly in the attacking areas behind the likes of Griezmann and Koke. 

But the picture is now different. With both Correa and Saul now completely healthy, and with Torres returning from Porto, Atleti's summer haul in the transfer market feels even bigger than it actually is. The precocious trio almost feel like signings themselves. 

The Goalkeeping Battle Will Be Intriguing This Season

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On Friday night against Cadiz, Diego Simeone started Miguel Angel Moya in goal. On Saturday against Real Betis, he started Jan Oblak. 

His choices for the respective games felt important, given that it was Oblak who featured in the far stronger XI against Betis—the sort of XI that looked close to Simeone's best ahead of the season opener against Las Palmas. 

So is Oblak now the first-choice goalkeeper? Perhaps. 

An intriguing battle is unfolding between the two keepers. Moya was excellent last term for Atleti but saw his season halted by a hamstring injury against Bayer Leverkusen that afforded Oblak a chance. The young Slovenian, after a difficult start at the Vicente Calderon, then grabbed that chance, going some way to justifying his hefty price tag. 

So here we have it. The veteran versus the youngster. Experience versus talent. A known quantity versus an evolving quantity. 

Last season they both seized their chances. But which man will get the first crack this time?

Atletico Look Ready for a Title Challenge

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It's always dangerous to read too much into pre-season games, but it is worth examining the wider situation surrounding clubs in this period. 

At Atletico Madrid, an ominous cocktail is building. The club has had an excellent summer. The new signings are great fits. Diego Simeone is starting an evolution in the team's style. Their legs are fresh, competition for places is immense, and the squad is chock full of hungry talent. It all bodes well. 

Consequently, Atletico look well placed for a title challenge in La Liga in 2015-16 and far better equipped to match up with Real Madrid and Barcelona. 

Additionally, Atleti's title rivals are entering difficult periods. Across town in the Spanish capital, Real Madrid are adapting to a new manager in Rafael Benitez who is of great contrast to his predecessor, Carlo Ancelotti.

East in Catalonia, Barcelona have had an exhaustive summer and face the challenge of avoiding a treble-induced hangover. Luis Enrique's men will undoubtedly be strong, but they're unlikely to hit their peak until the second half of the season. 

As such, Atletico, amid an overwhelming sense of positivity, have the chance to match up with Spain's big two in the opening half of the campaign. If they can, anything is possible.