With a week to go until the start of La Liga (and a clash against Villarreal), Atlético Madrid played a final high-level preparation match against Juventus on Sunday afternoon in Sweden. Diego Simeone’s team won 2-0 against Thiago Motta’s Bianconeri. Joao Félix (48th) and Angel Correa (on a penalty at the end of the match, 85th) found the back of the net after coming on, while Antoine Griezmann played the first half before leaving the field at half-time.
Great leader of the Colchoneros (24 goals and 8 assists in 48 matches in 2023-2024), “Grizi” must once again adapt to a new position as the new season approaches. The vice-captain of the French team has indeed played as a right winger in the system chosen by “El Cholo” against the Old Lady, a 5-4-1 in the defensive phase transforming into a 3-4-2-1 in the offensive phase, with Alexander Sorloth up front and Samuel Lino as Griezmann’s left counterpart. This is the tactic that the Argentinian coach has been preparing for several weeks.
Griezmann in Alvarez’s shadow?
After playing as a support for the centre forward for the last two years in a 3-5-2, Griezmann will therefore perhaps have less influence and fewer opportunities to make a difference for his team. Didier Deschamps tried to play the Mâcon native as a right winger in the round of 16 of Euro 2024 against Belgium (1-0) last month, but without success. The 1.76m left-footer is coming off a very disappointing European Championship (no goals, no assists). At 33, his decline could happen very quickly.
Simeone must find the right formula as Atléti has not only recruited a new number 9, Alexander Sorloth, for nearly 34 million euros from Villarreal, but also the 2022 world champion Julian Alvarez, for 94 million euros (bonuses included)! The Argentinian star can thus play alongside the Norwegian center forward or in the left attacking midfield position of the 3-4-2-1 in preparation. He would then benefit from Griezmann’s vista, but the latter should put himself at the service of his new attacking companions.
