Atletico Madrid have started off the season in fine fettle, and while they have not been the miserly defensive unit many associate Diego Simeone with, but they have more than made up for it with their firepower.
Los Colchoneros are scoring at a rate few alive will remember. Across their 12 games so far, they have scored 29 goals in La Liga and the Champions League – a rate of 2.42 goals per game.
Domestically, its even more impressive. Their 23 goals in 9 games leaves them with an average rate of 2.56 goals per game. This is their best average in 65 years, since Fernando Daucik was in charge of Atletico in the 1957-58 season when they finished runners-up. Compared with previous seasons, at the same stage last season, Atletico had 17 goals, while two seasons before Los Rojiblancos were stuck on 15.
Remarkably, they are not top scorers in La Liga, with Girona one ahead on 24, although the Catalans have played an extra game. Maintaining this level seems rather tricky, but it is certainly a positive sign. Much of this has been inspired by Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata, the fourth-deadliest partnership in Europe’s top five leagues. Their 17 strikes account for 58% of their goals.
