Atletico Madrid Still in Touch at Top of La Liga but Need Midfield Improvement

In the end, it wasn't so much of a spectacle. The Madrid derby was one of several huge games in European football in Sunday as Atletico hosted Real Madrid, but the 90 minutes itself didn't quite live up to hopes of a classic in the Vicente Calderon and finished with a 1-1 scoreline.

Quite different to last year's rampant 4-0 victory over the same rivals, Atleti were on the back foot from the start of the match and struggled to impose themselves in the centre of the park.

Not until the second half did they start to find their outlet balls, create reasonable chances and, in the end, go closest to winning the match.

For Atleti, avoiding defeat in this match was important—and, all things considered, was ultimately deserved—but manager Diego Simeone knows there are key areas for his side to improve going forward. One of them is the centre of midfield, which has previously been a core zone of the team's consistency and ability.

Point and Points

The 1-1 draw nicked in the final five minutes doesn't quite tell the story of the game; Though Real looked more threatening in the first 45 minutes, actual chances didn't flow for Rafael Benitez's side and the 1-0 lead for the away team at half-time was largely thanks to Keylor Navas, who saved Antoine Griezmann's penalty.

With Sergio Ramos lucky to escape a red card for the foul, Real could have been looking at an uphill battle to stay in the game, but the Costa Rican goalkeeper then made several more important saves after the interval.

A late Luciano Vietto tap-in levelled matters and Jackson Martinez almost won it in the dying seconds, also denied by Navas.

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With Barcelona's squad starting to cost them points and Real Madrid now having drawn three of their seven games in La Liga through an inability to remain composed and finish off chances against teams defending deep in their own half, Atletico are still well in touch with the main group as we approach the quarter mark of the season.

Celta Vigo and Villarreal have been the early pace setters, but both should be looked at as European-spot contenders rather than genuine title options. Their weekend results, 0-0 at home to Getafe and a 1-0 loss at Levante respectively, are testament to that.

Despite their current league positions, Barca, Real and Atleti will finish as the top three again—and just two points separate the trio after mixed beginnings to the season. Everything is still to be won and lost.

Problem Areas

Nobody has fallen into a perfect start to the season in La Liga and all teams, even Barca and Real, have things to work on tactically.

For Atletico, the midfield is the biggest worry at present, especially considering how important its functionality and reliability has been under Simeone.

Gabi started the season well, but his form has almost fluctuated with every half of football of late.

Against Real, he was well off the pace again to start with, mistiming tackles and conceding possession far too easily, before picking up after the break—when he was perhaps lucky not to have been subbed again.

In wide areas, Oliver and Antoine Griezmann have both shone at times and have been disappointingly quiet at others.

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The absence of Koke and the lack of impact so far from new signing Yannick Carrasco hasn't made things easy either, but individuals aren't the only problem.

As a unit, the starting quartet haven't been as aggressive as we're used to seeing from Atletico. They have sat deep, protecting the defence, but then haven't pushed forward quickly once possession is won.

Too frequently against Real (and beforehand), the front four tried to work openings between them—but there was a chasm behind them to the central midfielders, at least 30 yards, meaning it was easy for the opposition to flood forward into space once the attack broke down.

Stopping attacks down the Atletico left and consistency up front—both in terms of selecting personnel and in finishing off chances—are also areas for Simeone to keep working on.

Future Hope

The first big hope for Atletico to see an improvement will be Koke's return from injury. Although his own form hasn't been completely convincing at the start of this season, he's one of Simeone's most trusted and reliable starters and his quality on the ball is beyond question.

There must be a part of Simeone which considers bringing Koke back in when fit, not on the left where he has more often featured, but right in the middle of the team—either replacing Gabi or joining him in a true 4-3-3, rather than keeping Griezmann pushed wide in a 4-4-2 when out of possession and asking him to join the attack quickly once the ball is won.

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Balance in the team, composure in possession and set-piece delivery are just a few of the best traits that Koke will bring back.

There is also Saul Niguez to consider. Chances have been fairly limited for the 20-year-old so far this season, but he has impressed each time selected and was superb in the defeat to Villarreal, both offensively and defensively. Eventually he will win a run of games and his energetic, aggressive style could give the team another bump in confidence and ability to overrun sides.

Add in Vietto finally getting off the mark, Jackson Martinez looking a threat after entering as a sub against Real Madrid and Angel Correa's infectious, impetuous displays and there are plenty of reasons to keep believing this season could get very exciting, very quickly for Atleti's fans.

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