For a while, it seemed Diego Simeone had Real Madrid’s card marked. As if he had a dressing-room informant and peeked over the training ground walls before games – barring the occasional, unlucky Champions League final of course.
Until Saturday, they were unbeaten in the past six League meetings between the two sides. That domestic superiority seemed to grind to a juddering halt once Zinedine Zindane took the helm, to the point where even a maimed Los Blancos side could still pick them apart with little effort.
A fully-fit and firing Real Madrid can dismantle any side in world football. But with the likes of Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Karim Benzema and Toni Kroos all missing from the starting XI, Los Blancos were markedly weaker in all areas of the pitch, despite impressive depth. Prime pricking for Simeone’s boys, one would think.
Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick, and defending one of the greatest players to grace the game is difficult. But up and down the pitch, they were outclassed.
More has been made of this derby than most as it was the last to be played at the Vicente Calderon, with time running out on attending a match there, before their move to the shiny, new Estadio La Peineta next season.
A step in the right direction supposedly so they can compete in the future. At present, however, they are 10 points adrift off the top, with three losses in the past four League matches and in a bit of a tailspin.
Los Colchoneros are also paying the potentially-weighty cost of drawing their opening two matches of the season against promoted sides Alaves and Leganes.
This supposed bright future for Atleti is further clouded by the uncertainty surrounding Simeone’s future at the club.
No matter how positive a spin he puts on it, the decision to reduce the length of his contract by two years until 2018 is a tad nerve-racking – especially given his known affinity for Inter.
Negotiating such a deal is indicative of how much influence he has at the club. He has risen to near-‘unsackable’ status, but if the magic has gone, it may not stop him from leaving.
Scarier still, Golden boy Antoine Griezmann has freely admitted that the only thing that would place his commitment to the club into question is if Cholo leaves.
Even if one considers Atleti one of the top-five teams in the world, there would be no small percentage of potential suitors.
This is sounding increasingly ominous, and there is very little hesitation in crying crisis in football when a few things go awry – but we’re far from there yet.
Just last season, Barcelona seemed to be cruising to the title with a 10-point lead over their rivals as late as March. They stumbled and eventually staggered across the line.
It’s still chilly outside and Christmas decorations are sporadic at best. Time is on their side should they prove capable of mounting a comeback.
Moreover, in the Champions League, Atleti have already qualified for the knockout stage of the competition after just four matches with an unblemished record, even felling the likes of Bayern Munich on their ascent to the top of the group.
After a heart-breaking few seasons, this competition could be their saving. Or at the very least, get the wheel spinning again, starting with PSV on Wednesday.
