Jonathan David enjoying Atletico Madrid revival after Juventus loan move

Jonathan David says a change of surroundings has helped fuel his impressive start at Atletico Madrid, where he has scored in each of his first three La Liga appearances.

The Canada striker joined Atletico on a season-long loan from Juventus and has found the net against Real Sociedad, Osasuna and Real Madrid.

David also carried that form into the international break, scoring the only goal in Canada’s 1-0 friendly victory over Chile. The goal took his international total to 43.

The 26-year-old was asked to identify the reason behind his quick impact in Madrid but said there was no single explanation.

“Maybe it’s a breath of fresh air,” David said. “Maybe it helps that it’s a bit of a change of environment.”

David has adapted quickly to Diego Simeone’s team and believes the quality of Atletico’s attacking players has created better opportunities for him.

“I play with a lot of players that have that quality to find the last pass,” he said. “They make it pretty simple for me, to be honest. All I have to do is finish.”

His move to Atletico followed a difficult season at Juventus, where he scored eight goals in 46 competitive appearances.

The switch to Madrid came after David boosted his profile with a hat-trick for Canada against Qatar at the World Cup in Vancouver, helping to build momentum before the new season.

Canada head coach Jesse Marsch believes the striker’s combination of finishing ability and defensive work makes him particularly well suited to Simeone’s side.

Marsch said he had discussed David with the Atletico manager before the transfer was completed.

“If you want an attacking player that can score goals, have a lot of quality, and also work for the team and give everything he has to the team, I can’t think of a better striker than Jonathan David,” Marsch said.

David has already provided an example of that team-first approach. In Atletico’s 4-0 victory over Osasuna, he opted to toe-poke the ball across the penalty area for Lee Kang-in instead of taking a shot himself from a central position.

The forward’s start in Madrid has so far brought the goals and confidence that had been missing during his time at Juventus, while also allowing him to link up with Atletico’s other attacking players.

Atletico’s next La Liga fixture is away against Deportivo Alaves at Mendizorrotza on 10 October.