Atlético’s success depends on the goals of Morata and Griezmann

Álvaro and Antoine have scored 16 of the 30 goals for Simeone’s team in the League

In addition, they have scored goals in ten of the rojiblancos’ thirteen League games.

The main headache for Xavi Hernández, once he has secured a place in the Champions League round of 16, in the hours before Barça-Atlético next Sunday is how to stop the most dangerous duo in the League, Antoine Griezmann and Álvaro Morata. Antoine and Álvaro, two ‘disowned’ by Barça itself and by Real Madrid, have scored 16 goals, which they have also distributed optimally for Cholo’s interests.

The performance and statistics of Morata and Griezmann have been one of the keys to Atlético de Madrid’s excellent playing time and results. The red and whites have turned the Metropolitan into a fortress, with seven wins in seven games, and they have only shown some weakness when traveling. Despite everything, they remain third in the table (31 points), with Real Madrid and Girona within striking distance (35 points) as they have postponed their Matchday 4 match at their stadium against Sevilla.

Hence the urgency for victories and points for Barça, which in one week (December 3 and 10) hosts Atlético and Girona. And also, the need for Xavi Hernández and his technical staff to find the formula to deactivate their forward.

Antoine and Álvaro, Atlético’s firepower

Antoine Griezmann is considered, today, the best player in the League along with the Madrid player Bellingham. The Frenchman, who did not adapt to Barça, He leads the attack of the mattress team and is also experiencing his most effective campaign in front of the rival goal. He has already scored 9 goals in his thirteen appearances and is second in the Pichichi table with 9 goals (1 assist), 2 goals behind the aforementioned Bellingham. Simeone takes advantage of his balance between talent and sacrifice to use him as a second striker or playmaker, always with excellent performance.

In the case of Morata, he has already scored 7 goals (2 assists) in the 12 games he has played, and although his effectiveness has dropped a little in recent games, his contribution has decided more than one game at the start of the campaign, including two doubles. In addition, he has emerged as the reference forward for Luis de la Fuente’s team, current champion of the Nations League and qualified for Euro 2024.

Simeone has managed to extract the best from both. It has given Álvaro the peace of mind to maintain regular performance; to Antoine, the confidence to recover the best version of himself. The result is that both They have contributed more than half of Atlético’s goals in the League (16 out of 30), but they have also distributed them very well: in ten of the thirteen League games, at least one goal from Griezmann or Morata fell:

Griezmann and Morata’s goals in the 2023/24 League

• Matchday 1 · Atlético – Granada (3-1) · 1 Goal by Morata
• Matchday 2 · Real Betis – Atlético (0-0)
• Matchday 3 · Rayo – Atlético (0-7) · 2 Goals and 1 assist from Morata; 1 Goal from Griezmann
• Matchday 5 · Valencia – Atlético (3-0)
• Matchday 6 · Atlético – Real Madrid (3-1) · 2 Goals from Morata; 1 Goal from Griezmann
• Matchday 7 · Osasuna – Atlético (0-2) · 1 Goal from Griezmann
• Matchday 8 · Atlético – Cádiz (3-2)
• Matchday 9 · Atlético – Real Sociedad (2-1) · 1 Goal from Griezmann
• Matchday 10 · Celta – Atlético (0-3) · 3 Goals from Griezmann
• Matchday 11 · Atlético – Alavés (2-1) · 1 Goal and 1 Assist from Morata
• Matchday 12 · UD Las Palmas – Atlético (2-1) · 1 Morata Goal
• Matchday 13 · Barça – Villarreal (3-1) · 1 Goal and 1 Assist from Griezmann
• Matchday 14 · Atlético – Mallorca (1-0) · 1 Goal from Griezmann

Only a victory without the gunpowder of Morata and Griezmann

In the three setbacks that Atlético has registered so far in the League (3-0 defeats against Valencia and 2-1 against Las Palmas and a 0-0 draw against Real Betis) they only contributed one goal. And the only match that the red and whites won without needing the firepower of the Madrid and the French was against Cádiz (3-2).