Report: Atlético fail to win in Vitoria again | OneFootball

Terrible start to the season for an Atlético side that has managed to collect only two points out of a possible nine, and once again, they failed to secure a win against Alavés. Cholo still hasn't found the key to make the machine work. It's very telling that the absence of Alex Baena has had a negative impact on the results, as well as the lack of accuracy in front of goal. In three matches, only three goals.

Three matches where they had the lead, and in all three, that lead was lost, without being able to find a way to turn the situation around. Moreover, in the last two matches, after scoring very early, the equalizer also came quickly.

In Vitoria, we saw a match with a script similar to what we saw a week ago at the Metropolitano. They scored early, thanks to a combative Giuliano Simeone, who, after a play down the right wing and a sequence of rebounds, found the ball at his feet and scored in the sixth minute of the match.

A very good start to the match for our team, which made us feel very optimistic. But the joy was short-lived, following the same script as against Elche, who quickly equalized. This time, after a corner and a set-piece play, a penalty by Sorloth led to Carlos Vicente scoring from the penalty spot.

One-all and thirteen minutes into the match. Everything still to play for, and Atleti couldn't score again, just as they couldn't get a second goal in Barcelona against Espanyol, nor at home against Elche.

There were few chances from that moment until halftime, with the yellow card shown to Cardoso standing out, which was reminiscent of what happened on the first matchday and how he was taken off at halftime. That didn't happen in Vitoria, but he was substituted in the second half.

Greater Atlético dominance without reward

In the second half, the match was interrupted by an incident in the stands, where medical staff assisted a fan who had to be evacuated from the stadium, causing the match to be extended by fifteen minutes.

We also saw greater dominance from Atleti, but it did not pay off. Despite having clear chances to score, especially after Griezmann came on, who played a very active role in the team's play.

The Frenchman drifted to the left and linked up in that area with the spider, soon starting to send balls into the box and connecting with the Norwegian striker, who was close to scoring. Griezmann made a good impact on the team, and even hit the post with the goal almost empty after a poor clearance by Sivera, who misjudged his exit on a corner.

But even though Alavés didn't create chances or real danger for Oblak's goal, the truth is that Atleti didn't either and limited themselves to sending crosses into the box. Even without the spider, Almada and company on the field couldn't find solutions with Ruggieri, Raspadori, and Koke on the pitch.

Three matches and two points, no wins, and an international break that invites reflection, such as the role of Sorloth, who still isn't the number nine Atleti needs, the role of Almada, who is an incredibly talented player but runs himself into the ground all over the pitch without a well-defined position, the impact of Baena on his return after the break (and his position alongside Almada, so they can complement each other in the best possible way), and better game management for the upcoming matches, since three leads have slipped away in these three games. Not to mention Julián's form, who is not at his best at the start of this season.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.