Atletico Madrid had to bide their time on Saturday night.
They huffed and puffed, and it wasn’t until the 69th-minute that they broke the Osasuna resolve. A narrow 1-0 victory means Atleti have won four of their last five ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Arsenal. After a slow start to the season, they look to have found their groove.
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Diego Simeone has overseen comprehensive home wins in recent weeks. Indeed, they beat rivals Real Madrid 5-2 at the Wanda. They followed that up with a 5-1 win over Eintracht in the Champions League. The Spanish side were unfortunate in their last loss, a late 3-2 defeat at Liverpool last month.
The away form, though, hasn’t been great. They’re yet to win on their travels this season, losing two of five games. And a match at the Emirates doesn’t bode well for Simeone’s side. The Gunners sit three points clear at the top of the Premier League. Arsenal are among the favourites for the Champions League, too, having won their opening two league phase outings.
That being said, the welcome of Atleti won’t be a walk in the park for Arsenal. Yes, the away showings have been sub-par to say the least but Atletico have the personnel to hurt Mikel Arteta’s side. Julian Alvarez has started the season strongly. Antoine Griezmann is an experienced head on the frontline. Alexander Sorloth, Conor Gallagher and Clement Lenget all boast Premier League experience.
Giuliano Simeone’s rise to key Atleti man
However as one Simeone watches from the touchline, another’s dogged determination will be key to stopping Arsenal.
Giuliano Simeone made his La Liga debut back in 2022, but really honed his craft during respective loan spells with Zaragoza and Alaves. Last season the 22-year-old became a mainstay in the Atleti squad and has continued to rise to prominence. Giuliano isn’t a nepo baby by any stretch, however. Rather, he’s earned his spot in the Atletico setup.
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It was Simeone’s impact off the bench at the weekend that proved decisive in the 1-0 win over Osasuna. Having replaced the injured Nico Gonzalez shortly before the break, Simeone provided the decisive assist for Thiago Almada’s winning goal. It’s not the first time the youngster has come in clutch. Simeone registered his first assist of the season in the recent 3-2 over Rayo Vallecano. Again, he came on to provide for Alvarez’s 88th-minute winner.
Simeone’s work ethic
Los Colchoneros have four additional points to their name owing to Simeone’s contribution. What does stand out about the younger Simeone, though, is that he combines his attacking flair with high work-rate. He’s just as able to drive a marker back and he is win possession for his side. To some extent, the winger is a chip off the old block.
We’re all well aware of Diego Simeone’s playing days. Simeone as a manager delivers the same passion as Simeone as a player. And the off-ball work has filtered down to the Atletico winger. Atletico see more of the ball than a majority of La Liga counterparts yet the latter works tirelessly to regain possession where possible.
Simeone does average a modest 2.2 tackles per 90 in Spain’s top tier, and the same in Champions League, albeit from a smaller sample size. In the latter competition, he’s also committing 2.2 fouls per 90. Just as his father would have done, Simeone is an expert at disrupting the rhythm of opponents. The intense work ethic matches Atletico’s tactical philosophy.
Arsenal’s set-piece prolificacy
Of course, Atletico need to err on the side of caution in the capital on Tuesday. Arsenal are absolute masters of a set-piece routine having already scored eight – no team has scored more – in the Premier League this season. Gift the Gunners a free-kick and they are likely to make you pay.
Yet it is Simeone’s notable work off the ball that provides Atletico with a very real chance of claiming a result in north London. If the Spanish side disrupt the Gunners, then they’ll struggle to create open play chances. Likely to come up against the forward-thinking Riccardo Calafiori at the Emirates, Simeone’s defensive discipline will limit the Italian’s impact in the final third.
And having completed a commendable 1.4 take ons per 90 in the 2025-26 La Liga campaign, Simeone certainly has it in his locker to take a player on. It’s no wonder they have scored the third most counter-attacking goals (3) in Spain’s top tier this term. The regimented approach implemented by Simeone allows for Atletico to soak up pressure before winning the ball and breaking forward at speed.
So, while the likes of Alvarez and Griezmann may be deemed Atletico’s dangermen, it’s the younger Simeone who Arsenal really need to be wary of.