{"id":1248312,"date":"2022-02-22T13:59:11","date_gmt":"2022-02-22T13:59:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1248312"},"modified":"2022-02-23T14:11:06","modified_gmt":"2022-02-23T14:11:06","slug":"how-to-exploit-atletico-madrid-defensive-weakness","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/how-to-exploit-atletico-madrid-defensive-weakness\/","title":{"rendered":"A guide to exploiting Atletico Madrid&#8217;s uncharacteristic defensive weaknesses"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Long gone are the days of a trip to the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano being a daunting prospect for rival European sides. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In fact, Atl\u00e9tico Madrid are yet to win a home fixture in the Champions League this season, with only one win on home turf in the past two years in Europe\u2019s elite competition.<\/p>\n<p>Much of that is down to the fact that, this season, Atl\u00e9tico Madrid\u2019s defence has become the laughing stock of La Liga. Diego Simeone\u2019s team no longer defend as a solid block as they once did. Where a defensive unit saw them past Pep Guardiola\u2019s Bayern Munich and Luis Enrique\u2019s Barcelona only a few years ago, it is now their greatest weakness.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>READ MORE <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/atletico-madrid-vs-manchester-united\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Squawka Bet&#8217;s predictions for Atletico Madrid v Man Utd<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>With Manchester United now facing <em>Los Rojiblancos<\/em> in the Champions League last 16, the Red Devils will be licking their lips at the chance of coming up against some of Atl\u00e9tico\u2019s defensive weaknesses. Here, we\u2019ll take you through four key areas that Ralf Rangnick will be hoping to exploit.<\/p>\n<h2>Take your chances against Jan Oblak<\/h2>\n<p>For most European fans who don\u2019t follow Atl\u00e9tico Madrid closely, Jan Oblak is the name of a titanic goalkeeper who stops everything that comes his way. This season, that perception couldn\u2019t be any further from the truth.<\/p>\n<p>Since Oblak became a regular between the sticks in 2014\/15, he never once conceded more goals than his Expected Goals Against. This season, he has conceded a whopping 11.23 more than would be expected, putting him as the worst-performing goalkeeper in La Liga in that regard.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 class=\"p-rich_text_section\"><b data-stringify-type=\"bold\">Atletico Madrid vs Man Utd Champions League odds from Sky Bet<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul class=\"p-rich_text_list p-rich_text_list__bullet\" data-stringify-type=\"unordered-list\" data-indent=\"0\" data-border=\"0\">\n<li data-stringify-indent=\"0\" data-stringify-border=\"0\"><strong>Atletico Madrid to win &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/m.skybet.com\/go\/event\/28757698\/bet?sels=967115411&amp;btag=a_30870b_22c_&amp;affid=14069&amp;siteid=30870&amp;adid=22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\">29\/20<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li data-stringify-indent=\"0\" data-stringify-border=\"0\"><strong>Draw &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/m.skybet.com\/go\/event\/28757698\/bet?sels=967115412&amp;btag=a_30870b_22c_&amp;affid=14069&amp;siteid=30870&amp;adid=22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\">11\/5<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li data-stringify-indent=\"0\" data-stringify-border=\"0\"><strong>Man Utd to win &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/m.skybet.com\/go\/event\/28757698\/bet?sels=967115413&amp;btag=a_30870b_22c_&amp;affid=14069&amp;siteid=30870&amp;adid=22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\">2\/1<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b data-stringify-type=\"bold\">You must be 18 or older to bet. For more information visit <\/b><b data-stringify-type=\"bold\"><a class=\"c-link\" tabindex=\"-1\" href=\"http:\/\/gambleaware.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"http:\/\/gambleaware.org\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\" data-remove-tab-index=\"true\">gambleaware.org<\/a><\/b><b data-stringify-type=\"bold\">. All odds and offers in this article are accurate at the time of writing.<\/b><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>This is not to say that pot shots from distance are a surefire way through, but Manchester United\u2019s attackers should be buoyed by the fact that Oblak is not as confident as he once was. Caught out by floating crosses, such as against C\u00e1diz, and beaten at his near post, as he was by Valencia, show the kind of basic errors that mean Cristiano Ronaldo and company may not have to be at their most clinical to beat him.<\/p>\n<p>That said, by keeping a first away clean sheet of the season at El Sadar on Saturday, Oblak produced one of his strongest performances of the season. That could give him a real confidence boost at the perfect time.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>READ MORE <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/atletico-madrid-vs-man-utd-predictions-team-news-line-ups-live-stream-champions-league\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Atletico Madrid vs Man Utd live stream: How to watch the Champions League last 16 online<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Pace in attack is a killer<\/h2>\n<p>Atleti\u2019s defence is one of the slowest of those left in the Champions League, and with injury likely to deny Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda Gim\u00e9nez the chance to feature, the defence just got even slower. Should Simeone go with his expected defence of Stefan Savi\u0107, Felipe and Mario Hermoso, anyone with pace could have a field day.<\/p>\n<p>Hermoso, whilst possessing the most pace, is the one who struggles most. Adama Traor\u00e9 ran rings around him at Camp Nou only a few weeks ago, with his trademark pace all that was needed to give the central defender a nightmare afternoon, beating him in four out of five take-ons.<\/p>\n<p>Felipe, too, will struggle. Now aged 32, his best is far behind him, and any kind of good movement is enough to dislocate him and leave gaps in Atl\u00e9tico\u2019s defensive unit. The thought of Ronaldo tormenting him alone is enough to fill Atl\u00e9tico fans with dread.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Atletico Madrid vs Man Utd: Betting Offer<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/go\/888-sports?q=uk-all-all-bst-s-sq-manutd-14\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1248394 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/12\/22174717\/1237605_1237605_888-atletico-madrid-vs-man-utd-1024x453.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"453\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/12\/22174717\/1237605_1237605_888-atletico-madrid-vs-man-utd-1024x453.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/12\/22174717\/1237605_1237605_888-atletico-madrid-vs-man-utd-300x133.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/12\/22174717\/1237605_1237605_888-atletico-madrid-vs-man-utd-768x340.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/12\/22174717\/1237605_1237605_888-atletico-madrid-vs-man-utd-110x49.jpg 110w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/12\/22174717\/1237605_1237605_888-atletico-madrid-vs-man-utd-158x70.jpg 158w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/12\/22174717\/1237605_1237605_888-atletico-madrid-vs-man-utd-66x29.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/12\/22174717\/1237605_1237605_888-atletico-madrid-vs-man-utd-80x35.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/12\/22174717\/1237605_1237605_888-atletico-madrid-vs-man-utd-180x80.jpg 180w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/12\/22174717\/1237605_1237605_888-atletico-madrid-vs-man-utd-380x168.jpg 380w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/12\/22174717\/1237605_1237605_888-atletico-madrid-vs-man-utd-240x106.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/12\/22174717\/1237605_1237605_888-atletico-madrid-vs-man-utd-1100x487.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/12\/22174717\/1237605_1237605_888-atletico-madrid-vs-man-utd-85x38.jpg 85w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/12\/22174717\/1237605_1237605_888-atletico-madrid-vs-man-utd-45x20.jpg 45w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/12\/22174717\/1237605_1237605_888-atletico-madrid-vs-man-utd-330x146.jpg 330w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/12\/22174717\/1237605_1237605_888-atletico-madrid-vs-man-utd.jpg 1159w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Readers interested in the above 888sport betting offer can follow <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/go\/888-sports?q=uk-all-all-bst-s-sq-manutd-14\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this link<\/a> and sign up using the code 888ODDS. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>18+ only \u2022 Deposit min \u00a3\/$\/\u20ac10 with promo code \u2022 Bet up to \u00a3\/$\/\u20ac5 on your selection at normal odds in the regular market \u2022 If your selection wins, we\u2019ll pay you out at the normal price and any extra winnings from the advertised enhanced price will be paid to you in Free Bets \u2022 Free Bets are granted within 72 hours and expire after 7 days \u2022 Free Bet stakes are not included in returns \u2022 Deposit balance is available for withdrawal at any time \u2022 Restrictions apply to withdrawals, payment methods and countries &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.888sport.com\/spt\/enhancedodds3.htm?utm_medium=casap&amp;utm_source=aff_na#fullTerms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\">Full T&amp;C\u2019s apply<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gambleaware.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Be Gamble Aware.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>This was a point that Liverpool sought to exploit when the two teams met in the group stages and did so with devastating impact. Sadio Man\u00e9, in particular, would look to drift central and then drop deep, inviting Felipe to join him, and then tempt him into committing needless fouls. It ended up with the Brazilian dismissed before half-time at Anfield.<\/p>\n<p>A lack of youth and speed is not unique to Atl\u00e9tico in Spanish defences, but they do experience it more than most. The thought of a confident Jadon Sancho cutting inside and taking one of these defenders on will be a worry.<\/p>\n<h2>Target Atleti\u2019s right flank<\/h2>\n<p>Following the departure of Kieran Trippier in the January transfer window as he joined Newcastle United, Atl\u00e9tico have had a weakness on the right of their defence. Daniel Wass was brought in as an experienced replacement from Valencia, but promptly got injured in a crunching tackle on his debut against Barcelona and will now miss much of what\u2019s left of the season.<\/p>\n<p>That leaves Simeone in a difficult position. The right-back slot will present him with one of his selection headaches as he must decide whether to go with \u0160ime Vrsaljko or Marcos Llorente. The decision will be a clear reflection of just how brave the coach is being and whether Atleti will look to sit deep or not. Keeping Llorente in midfield, rather than defence, would suggest that Atleti are looking to play in a much more expansive way.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/go\/888-sports?q=uk-all-con-bag-s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1243352 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21145227\/1243322_888sport-offer.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1399\" height=\"726\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21145227\/1243322_888sport-offer.jpg 1399w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21145227\/1243322_888sport-offer-300x156.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21145227\/1243322_888sport-offer-1024x531.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21145227\/1243322_888sport-offer-768x399.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21145227\/1243322_888sport-offer-110x57.jpg 110w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21145227\/1243322_888sport-offer-135x70.jpg 135w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21145227\/1243322_888sport-offer-66x34.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21145227\/1243322_888sport-offer-80x42.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21145227\/1243322_888sport-offer-180x93.jpg 180w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21145227\/1243322_888sport-offer-380x197.jpg 380w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21145227\/1243322_888sport-offer-1156x600.jpg 1156w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21145227\/1243322_888sport-offer-240x125.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21145227\/1243322_888sport-offer-1100x571.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21145227\/1243322_888sport-offer-85x44.jpg 85w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21145227\/1243322_888sport-offer-39x20.jpg 39w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2022\/01\/21145227\/1243322_888sport-offer-330x171.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1399px) 100vw, 1399px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Readers interested in the above 888sport betting offer can follow <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/go\/888-sports?q=uk-all-con-bag-s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this link<\/a> and sign up using the code PREM60. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>A min deposit of \u00a3\/\u20ac10 with promo code is required. You must bet a min of \u00a3\/\u20ac10 at odds of 2.0 or greater on a sports market. \u00a3\/\u20ac10 Free Bets will be credited on bet settlement &amp; then a \u00a3\/\u20ac10 Free Bet every weekend (up to 5 times) and will be valid for 7 days. Deposit balance is available for withdrawal at any time. General withdrawal restrictions &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.888sport.com\/spt\/betgetpl60\/?utm_campaign=100066364_1859428_nodescription&amp;utm_content=100066364&amp;utm_medium=casap&amp;utm_source=aff#fullTerms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\">full T&amp;Cs apply<\/a>. <\/strong><strong>18+ only. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gambleaware.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Be Gamble Aware.<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Llorente is an adept defender, capable of keeping up in a foot race and adding some vital pace down the flanks, but he\u2019s limited. His real strengths lie in his explosive runs forward which are constrained when operating as a wing-back. Where Yannick Carrasco has found the perfect balance on the left, Llorente remains either overly committed to defence and offers little going forward, or leaves himself exposed in defence.<\/p>\n<p>Vrsaljko is the alternative, but is one that lacks the quality to play in such a high-profile fixture. His contract is up in the summer and he is not expected to remain at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano beyond June 30th. Simeone has tended to go with him in some crucial fixtures this season, but often ends up pulling him off early on, like when he was hauled off at half-time in the defeat to Barcelona.<\/p>\n<h2>Be prepared for changes<\/h2>\n<p>If anything has typified Atl\u00e9tico\u2019s struggles of late, it has been Simeone\u2019s indecision in how he lines his team up. That is almost certain to continue again against Manchester United. In more than half of Atleti\u2019s fixtures in the 2022 calendar year, Simeone has made changes to switch the shape or system of his team at least once before the hour mark. More often than not, that involves switching between a back five and a back four.<\/p>\n<p>The opportunity for Manchester United lies in that Atleti are not a flexible side who can adapt quickly. That means that Atleti are at their most vulnerable at these points in the game where changes are made. In particular, there is often a real lack of cover from the midfield. Central midfielders Koke and Rodrigo de Paul lack the bite or defensive protection that the backline needs.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>READ MORE <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/atletico-madrid-vs-man-utd-predicted-xis-lineups-team-news-champions-league\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Atletico Madrid vs Man Utd predicted XIs: Team news as Bruno Fernandes talks up \u2018underappreciated\u2019 Fred<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It is a role which has only been fulfilled successfully this season by Geoffrey Kondogbia, given that he averages 3 tackles per match, compared to Koke\u2019s 1.9 and De Paul\u2019s 1.3, yet he seems unlikely to feature there against United. Bruno Fernandes will be looking to target this area in a similar way to how Mikel Merino did in Real Sociedad\u2019s Copa del Rey win.<\/p>\n<p>There has been some improvement in this regard in recent weeks, with the arrival of Reinildo on the left offering more flexibility, but it remains a weak point in Atleti\u2019s armour. If Manchester United can react quickly to those changes and target Atl\u00e9tico before they settle back into their rhythm, they may be able to capitalise by striking while the iron is hot.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Article produced by <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/samleveridge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sam Leveridge<\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span>in partnership with<span>\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.laligalowdown.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/twitter.com\/LaLigaLowdown&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1595451760293000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGqxv_HtaXVyp0Syif3C1GU-nhWIQ\">La Liga Lowdown<\/a>, your home for Spanish football in English with reporters based in Spain.<\/em>\u00a0<i>Find them on Twitter\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LaLigaLowdown\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/twitter.com\/LaLigaLowdown&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1595451760293000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGqxv_HtaXVyp0Syif3C1GU-nhWIQ\">@LaLigaLowdown<\/a><\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Long gone are the days of a trip to the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano being a daunting prospect for rival European sides. In fact, Atl\u00e9tico Madrid are yet to win a home fixture in the Champions League this season, with only one win on home turf in the past two years in Europe\u2019s elite competition. Much&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":1248335,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Atletico Madrid are not the defensive powerhouses they once were and Man Utd will be looking exploit that in the Champions League.","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"features-category":[],"squawka-category":[],"class_list":["post-1248312","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.0 (Yoast SEO v28.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A guide to exploiting Atletico Madrid&#039;s uncharacteristic defensive weaknesses | Squawka | EN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Atletico Madrid are not the defensive powerhouses they once were and Man Utd will be looking exploit 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