Atletico Madrid’s strength this season has more or less decreased, after they lost a number of pillars such as Diego Costa, Filipe Luis, David Villa or Thibaut Courtois last summer.
Of the 46 goals Atletico Madrid has scored since the beginning of this season, 20 came from free kicks and corners.
Raul Garcia lifts the ball into the far corner of Iker Casillas’ goal in this year’s Spanish Super Cup match.
These goals are scored in a variety of ways.
“I don’t mind winning thanks to set pieces,” Diego Simeone said in September.
But why is Atletico Madrid superior to other teams in set pieces?
Abel Resino, former goalkeeper and coach of Atletico Madrid, analyzed on Goal.com: `I believe the secret lies in hard training and the fact that they have enough quality players to end those situations.
Normally, Diego Simeone will change the starting lineup for each specific match and they will practice free kick drills in depth in the pre-match training session.
Atletico Madrid carefully analyzes the defense’s defense and the opponent’s goalkeeper’s movements to optimize set plays.
“Their tactics are very diverse, depending on who the opponent is.
This former coach continued to give his opinion: `Atletico scored goals from free kicks in many different ways.
The goalkeeper’s position is also an important factor.
Abel Resino, who stood in Atletico’s wooden goal from 1986 to 1995, believes that opposing goalkeepers always have to struggle to defend against free kicks from Simeone teachers and students.
Thoroughness, diligence on the training field, and meticulousness when studying opponents are a secret that helps Atletico Madrid maintain the sharpness of their dead-ball weapons.
In addition, the way Atletico regains the ball after the opponent’s clearance situations is also the key for them to optimize the effectiveness of dead ball play.
For Atletico, both in La Liga and Europe, dead ball is an important weapon that helps them defeat rich opponents with many stars in the squad.