"Madril Atletico" continues to be a tough competitor, but "Sky Sports" analyst Guillem Balague sees innovations in Diego Simeone's playing philosophy. The past weeks have shown that "Atletico" remains the most challenging opponent for other European giants. They defeated Munich's "Bayern" at the "Vicente Calderon" stadium, and held a draw at the "Camp Nou" against "Barcelona". After the UEFA Champions League matches, Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti stated that "Atletico's" style remained the same, but he was not completely accurate. According to G. Balague, D. Simeone is trying to change his team's playing style. Statistics show that some key elements of the game have been significantly improved. "Atletico" is taking more shots and making more passes during matches. It is interesting to note that the "Rojiblancos" spend more time on the ball, which was not typical for them in the past. D. Simeone had previously stated in the last season that he did not intend to change his playing style: "We are a tough, intense team that transitions powerfully from defense to attack. I don't want that to change. We don't know how to play any other way. I think changing the playing style could lead to disaster." Simeone is aware of the risk of this transformation, but the evolution of "Atletico's" playing style is not a choice, but a necessity. "Atletico" struggled at the beginning of the season, drawing twice in a row with league newcomers. After these two matches, criticism fell on D. Simeone - he was attacked for using too defensive tactics. However, what changed? For example, in the 2014-15 season, "Atletico" scored 30 goals from set pieces - 10 times more than other "La Liga" teams. Their counterattacks remain particularly dangerous - all four goals in this season against Vigo's "Celta" were created during fast attacks on the right side. "Atletico" is one of four Spanish teams this season to score a goal after a set piece. However, there is a much greater emphasis on ball possession in their game. In the same 2014-15 season, the team from the Spanish capital scored only 30 goals from open play. Meanwhile, Madrid's "Real" and "Barcelona" scored more than 80 goals from open play. Last year, "Atletico" improved this indicator to 50, and this season they are not far behind these two clubs. In the match against "Sporting Gijon", D. Simeone decided to play an attacking lineup - the defensive line consisted of Nicolas Gaitan, Saul, Koke, and Yannick Carrasco. The line was attacking. These matches saw the UEFA Champions League finalists of last season win with a score of 5-0. One example of an attacking style of "Atletico" could be the fourth goal, when Filipe Luis joined the attack, and in the penalty area there were five "Rojiblancos" players. Of course, we should not expect to see such an attacking lineup in important matches. We saw this in the 1-1 draw against "Barcelona", but a different picture emerged in the match against "Bayern". D. Simeone brought Gabi back to the center of the field against "Bayern", but he partnered with Koke, who was formerly closer to the flank. Augusto Fernandez, who is tasked with stopping opponents' attacks in midfield, took over Koke's current position. D. Simeone tried to play in the center of the field with Koke in the preparation cycle of 2015, but this formation was abandoned because it did not work. It seems that the Argentine strategist wants to play with a tactic he once tried this season. The "Atletico" coach wants more creativity in the center of the field. It is for this reason that "Atletico" becomes a team with a different style of play. D. Simeone wants to see "Rojiblancos" in a different light, which is why C. Ancelotti was wrong about the "unchanged" playing style of "Atletico"."
