COLUMN: Four key Madrid derby takeaways as Atletico Madrid rebirth unravels Carlo conservatism
On Sunday night Antoine Griezmann had a message for young football fans in the Spanish capital. He asked Madrid’s kids to go to school Monday wearing their red-and-white shirts, to show pride in Atletico Madrid after a derby day to remember.
https://twitter.com/Atleti/status/1706069498074484782?s=20
Atletico overcame Real Madrid 3-1 at the Civitas Metropolitano behind a goal from Griezmann and two from Alvaro Morata. All three goals came from crosses that were then headed beyond the reach of Kepa Arrizabalaga, as Diego Simeone’s men fed off an electric atmosphere to secure one of their most significant wins since switching stadia in 2017.
Here’s how the derby was won and lost, as well as what it could portend for the rest of this season in Spain.
It was a pity not only to see Atletico sell Yannick Carrasco to Saudi side Al-Shabab this summer, but to see the club finalise the transfer four weeks into the season, after the European transfer window had shut for the summer. Simeone regarded Carrasco as an essential player in his 3-5-2 system, and the head coach said multiple times during the preseason that he did not want to lose the Belgian.
But the club didn’t grant Simeone’s wish, so El Cholo got to work reinventing how Atleti attack down the left. The first game without Carrasco saw Atletico thumped by Valencia at Mestalla, but the second game – the dramatic draw in Rome against Lazio – saw 23-year-old Samuel Lino put in a solid 75-minute shift at Carrasco’s left wing-back position. Lino was good enough to retain his place in the 11 for the Madrid Derby, and inside four minutes, he stuck a perfect cross onto Morata’s head to open the scoring.
Lino made five progressive carries and contributed two goal-creating
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