Atletico Madrid’s richly deserved 1-0 win at near neighbors Real Madrid on Saturday showed Diego Simeone’s hard working and superbly organized side are real challengers for this season’s Primera Division title.
Either Madrid or Barcelona have won each La Liga trophy for a over a decade, but Diego Costa’s winning goal -- and Atletico’s all-round superiority at a damp and ultimately disillusioned Estadio Santiago Bernabeu -- means it is Simeone’s side who now look the main challengers to try and unseat Barca as champions.
The question pregame had been whether Atletico’s Copa del Rey final win at the Bernabeu last May had lifted an inferiority complex which had grown during 14 years and 25 games without a derby win. But Saturday night, it looked as if it was Madrid which was scared of Atletico's physical style.
Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti blinked by choosing to leave out his main creative midfielder Luka Modric, and start the more limited but physically bigger Sami Khedira and Asier Illarramendi in the center of the park. The Italian then spent most of the first half seated on the bench, probably trying to work out what was going wrong. Meanwhile, Simeone prowled the edge of his technical area, urging his players forward, kicking every ball with them.
The visitors looked the better side throughout -- and its goal on 12 minutes was no surprise. Madrid lost the ball for the umpteenth time in midfield, and seconds later Costa strode through a static home defense to slip the ball confidently past goalkeeper Diego Lopez for his eighth goal in seven La Liga games this season.
Simeone’s guiding influence has turned Costa -- previously always sent out on loan to smaller sides like Albacete or Rayo Vallecano -- into La Liga’s deadliest number nine. The Brazilian-born forward’s form is so good that few are talking about Radamel Falcao at Atletico, and the Spanish media say he will be in Vicente del Bosque’s next full Spain squad.
Even during their barren run at the Bernabeu, Atletico often scored first in derbies, but then folded pretty quickly. This team made of different stuff though -- as Ancelotti himself has said the current Colchoneros XI are just like their coach -- tough, committed, and full of confidence in their ability to get the job done despite their relatively limited means.
Koke is another player transformed by Simone. Previously a talented but inconsistent player, in the last twelve months he has become a key man for Atletico. Still only 21, the Madrid native has played in Spain’s last three senior internationals, and looks a real star in the making. His pass for Costa’s opener was perfectly measured, earning his sixth assist in seven La Liga goals this season. Another outrageous crossfield ball should really have brought a goal for David Villa too before halftime.
After the break it was time for Atletico’s defense to stand big, and led by teak-tough centerbacks Diego Godin and Miranda it did just that. Cristiano Ronaldo was quiet -- he had scored 7 goals in fortnight since signing his new $26 million-a-year contract but hardly got a sniff here. One trademark free kick went high and wide just when Madrid needed something badly, and another swerving effort was sent straight at visiting keeper Thibaut Courtois.
Ancelotti tried to fix his initial mistake by introducing Modric along with Gareth Bale at the break, and the second half was better. Yet Atletico still had few problems blocking up the spaces Bale and Ronaldo like to run into. Karim Benzema was whistled again by the home fans after another ineffective display, while Bale had just one speculative shot -- straight at Courtois.
Still appearing to badly miss the guile of the departed Mesut Ozil, Madrid ended the game just lumping high balls forward, and Atletico easily saw out the 90 minutes. Los Colchoneros even came close to scoring itself late on, with Koke almost crowning his display with a curling shot which hit the crossbar.
There was nothing lucky about the result -- these were not plucky underdogs scrapping their way to an unlikely victory against the odds. Atletico was by far the better team -- and a seventh win from seven league games keeps them level with Barcelona on top of the table, five points ahead of Madrid.
During their previous clashes two decades ago in Italy, Ancelotti was a silky passer in a Milan team which won everything, while Simeone was a scrapper in an Internazionale side which stayed in the shadow of its cross-town rivals.
Now in the Spanish capital in 2013, their positions have been reversed. Atletico are now the best side in the city -- and look serious challengers for this season’s La Liga title. And Ancelotti's Madrid? They are in need of a serious rethink.
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