For daily sports information, please click on the top right corner to follow
At 2:00 a.m. Beijing time on December 23, a make-up match in the 9th round of La Liga was contested, and Atletico challenged Granada as a guest. Atletico's league record this season has been a bit worse, winning just eight of their first 17 league games and losing four, not much better than Barca. Atletico's defence is not as solid as before, and the attack is not sharp enough, especially in recent times, the form is even worse, losing three consecutive league games, losing to Mallorca, Real Madrid and Sevilla. Atletico need to regain the feeling of victory. This time against Granada is a great opportunity. Last season, the two sides played each other for two legs, and Atletico won, but this time Atletico actually lost, broke out of the big cold, and continued to sink.
Simeone was lined up in a 442 formation for the match. Oblak served as the starting goalkeeper. Hermoso, Condobia, Felipe and Trippier are paired at 4 backs. Carrasco, Cork, DePaul and Lemar make up the 4 midfield. Felix and Suarez joined forces as two strikers. Angel Correa, Exto Herrera and Renan Lodi sit on the bench. Griezmann and Savage are out with injuries.
Atletico's start was fantastic, with Felix scoring for Atletico in the 2nd minute. But then Atletico played a bit conservatively, and Granada stepped up their attack, and Granada's efforts paid off, with Marches scoring an amazing long-range shot to equalize Granada. In the last 10 minutes of the first half, Atletico's attacking pace accelerated and opportunities kept emerging. Felix was very active, but unfortunately he scored a goal and was fouled. Atletico had 52% possession in the first half, with just five shots on goal, two on target and one goal. Granada scored 1 goal with 4 shots on goal in 2 shots.
Atletico had a chance to lead again in the second half, but, by the slightest difference, Felix's long-range shot was rejected by the upright. To make matters worse, Atletico then conceded the ball, with Molina scoring in front of goal. Simeone has no way back, he constantly makes substitutions, and has changed 4 people in succession. Atletico were also in a head-to-head position on the offensive end, but neither Correa nor Lemar seized the last chance. In the end, Atletico could only accept a 1-2 defeat.
The defeat set atletico too many shameful records. This is the first time in nearly 10 years that Atletico have suffered four consecutive defeats. It was Atletico's first loss to Granada since 1973, a 48-year record of humiliation. It was also the first time since Simeone had made his debut in La Liga that he had fallen behind Real Madrid by at least 14 points after 18 rounds of La Liga. The number one sinner of Atletico's four-game losing streak was Simeone, who, even with a luxurious squad, did a poor job both offensively and defensively, not at the level that a giant team with a combined €750 million should play. To know that Simeone is holding the world's highest annual salary, the style of football he plays is not good, if the results are not good, then what is the use of him? Perhaps, it is time for Atletico to consider the issue of changing managers.