Simeone exposes Real Madrid’s left flank in Atletico derby victory

Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid exploited Real Madrid’s vulnerability on the left flank to secure a 2-1 derby victory in La Liga on Sunday, repeating the tactical approach that earned a 5-2 win in last season’s derby against Xabi Alonso’s side.

The result came in a match featuring several controversial refereeing incidents, but Simeone’s plan was clear from the outset. His familiar message that Atletico must “take the game to where we can hurt them” reflected a carefully prepared attempt to target weaknesses in Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid team.

According to Spanish newspaper Marca, Giuliano Simeone again made a major impact on Atletico’s right wing, as he had in the previous derby, with Carreras struggling to contain him. This time, the attack focused on two specific issues: Vinicius Jr’s limited defensive contribution and a lack of support for Cucurella, combined with Dean Huijsen’s hesitation.

Real Madrid had to defend the area with fewer numbers than Atletico wanted, leaving the visitors able to overload it with Kang-in Lee’s dribbling and the strength of Rodrigo De Paul, Marcos Llorente and Giuliano Simeone. That combination made it extremely difficult for the centre-back and full-back to cope.

It also explained several of Simeone’s selection decisions. Kang-in Lee was used on the wing despite starting as a second striker alongside Jonathan David. Pubill was encouraged to attack from full-back, while Llorente began in midfield. Alongside tracking Jude Bellingham defensively, Llorente was expected to support attacks down the targeted flank.

Cardoso was selected in the double pivot instead of Koke so he could cover Marcos Llorente’s position when the latter moved forward into the area Real Madrid were struggling to defend.

Atletico’s final training session before the derby also concentrated on deliveries over the defensive line. That work, together with the deliberate focus on the right, was reflected in both goals. Giuliano’s run down the flank ended with Huijsen fouling him for a penalty, while the second came after Kang-in Lee played a through ball down the wing before Giuliano Simeone supplied a precise pass for Jonathan David.

The tactical plan remained effective after half-time, when Koke’s introduction brought greater calm, possession and control. Llorente also returned to right-back to replace Pubill, who had been booked. However, Atletico’s superiority was already evident in the opening period.

With both teams at full strength, Atletico were the more dominant side and produced seven attacks on goal compared with Real Madrid’s five. Most came from the right, although Alejandro Grimaldo was given room to advance on the left as Arda Guler was reluctant to push forward. Some 48% of Atletico’s attacks came from the right, compared with 24% through the left and 29% through the centre.

Simeone’s strategy also addressed Real Madrid’s main threat: counter-attacking football. Giuliano acted as a fifth defender to monitor Vinicius, while Pubill shared responsibility for tracking him and Kylian Mbappe. Cristian Romero controlled Mbappe centrally, and Llorente’s relentless work helped prevent Real Madrid from launching counters, leaving them with little opportunity to run at Atletico.