On November 4, Beijing time, Atletico Madrid lost 1-2 away to Las Palmas, and the league's six-game winning streak was terminated.
However, under Simeone, Atletico have scored more goals than ever before.
For a long time, third place has been Atletico's "deserved" position in La Liga. So far, too.
Only this time, things are different.
Real Madrid and Barcelona are not the two teams ahead of them, and it is not surprising that Barcelona are missing the top two in the table this time, but it is their goal tally that is surprising.
Atletico are a "new" team now, they are no longer a team that won 1-0 and are known for their iron-clad defence.
Simeone's team actually scored a lot of goals. In fact, more than any other team in La Liga.
In 2023/24, they are at the top of the scorers' charts (26 goals).
And in 2023 (calendar year), only two teams in Europe's top five leagues have scored more goals than them (73), with Atletico Madrid scoring more goals than treble winners Manchester City.
As of now, the top five European leagues have scored the most goals:
- Borussia Dortmund: 78 goals
- Bayern Munich: 77 goals
- Atletico: 73 goals
- Manchester City: 72 goals
No other team in La Liga has scored more than 63 goals in 2023, with Real Madrid being their closest challenger.
Atletico have been on a hot streak since last year's World Cup break.
They have lost just five of their 34 league games in 2023 and have picked up more points in La Liga than any other team.
If the league season goes on a daily basis, then Atletico will be at the top of the table with 75 points.
So, what's really different about Atletico right now?
Atletico started playing possession
The most notable change was the formation, which was 4-4-2 and Simeone changed it to 5-3-2.
Considering that he is known for his defense, many may think that it is a defensive tactic, but in fact, it creates an environment for his attacking players to play.
Antoine Griezmann (7) and Alvaro Morata (7) are joint second in the individual scorers' charts, behind only Jude Bellingham (10).
Saul, on the other hand, is tied for first place in assists (5 assists), although he has only started six of his 11 games.
It all points to the fact that, at least in attack, players have a greater chance of losing formation and with the support of an additional centre-back, they can run up front.
It's a team with a lot of confidence at the moment.
Their 26 goals have come from just 19.2 expected goals, suggesting that their players are doing very well at taking their chances at the moment.
Full-backs can also get high positions on the pitch.
On the right flank, Argentina international Molina has been a bright spot, while Samuel Lino, who spent a season on loan at Valencia, has emerged as a formidable attacking left-back.
Lino provides direct running and dribbling ability, which is very useful in helping the team move quickly, but he also has excellent defensive qualities, which makes him increasingly important in the current team.
Under Simeone, Atletico are more comfortable than ever in controlling and dominating the game, and much will depend on the type of player he is now playing on the defensive end.
In the past, Atletico have played well with opponents who wanted to keep the ball, but when their opponents didn't want to control the game more than they did, they got into trouble.
But not anymore.
Defence is in Atletico's DNA
Simeone has come to terms with the fact that he needs his team to control the game more, starting with defense.
He selects defenders who are more adept at possession in the back line.
Hermoso's success at centre-back on the left over the past year.
Hermoso felt a bit lost at Atletico before, but he is now a key part of this new Atletico team, especially in terms of how he has improved through passing.
He is one of the top 20 players in La Liga with the most successful passes, while he is also bold in possession, and Simeone wants him to take risks.
His long pass to Molina on the right was a clear and effective tactic.
The signing of Cesar Azpilicueta in the summer also marked a step forward in the team's defensive line, while Simeone also began to use the traded Witsel as the heart of the backline.
Simeone stuck to his tactics from the derby win over Real Madrid in September, starting Savic alongside Jimenez and Hermoso, but there were also a couple of important games where Cesar Azpilicueta and Witsel were more recognised at the back.
While these are minor changes, they have scored four goals on the counter-attack this season, more than any other La Liga side.
They averaged 2.36 goals per game in 2023/24, meaning this is the second time Atletico have averaged more than two goals per game under Simeone after winning the title in 2013/14. Even at that time, they were averaging just 2.03 per game.
Defensively, they're not as impeccable as they used to be.
This is natural as they put more players into attack, but their defensive record this season is still the second-best in La Liga (11 goals conceded), behind only Real Madrid (8 goals conceded).
The fact that they conceded were exactly what they expected (10 games) proves that their backline is indeed still solid.
So, this is still largely Atletico for Simeone's defense.
It seems no coincidence that only Real Madrid have a better record of fouls in La Liga this season than Atletico Madrid (25 yellow cards, 1 red card). Atletico have the fewest fouls per game (10.6) in La Liga (on par with Real Madrid).
Atletico are noticeably less frustrated than before.
Just over a year ago, Hermoso climbed the stands to argue with disgruntled fans, and now the Metropolitano Stadium is once again a happy place.
Write at the end
Despite the loss, Atletico's six-game winning streak remains the longest streak in Europe's top five leagues so far this season.
There is every reason to believe that Atletico will be above third by the time of the game against Sevilla at the end of December.
A duopoly in La Liga, Simeone's team has achieved amazing results in the last 12 years, and it is not easy indeed.
The last time they won La Liga was in the 2020/21 season, so this year's title will be very important.
If they continue the way they are now, this 'new' Atletico could prove to be the best one Simeone has built.