Atleti's Iron Defense: A Luxury for Simeone
Simeone’s Atlético de Madrid has regained its hallmark: defensive solidity. And much of this success is due to the abundance of top-level center-backs. Giménez, Le Normand, and Lenglet, each with their own strengths, compete for a place in the starting eleven, creating a ‘blessed problem’ for Cholo.
Simeone values the speed of Giménez and Le Normand, while highlighting Lenglet’s positioning and placement. The season has seen an equitable rotation among them, with Giménez leading in minutes played, followed closely by Lenglet and Le Normand.
Witsel has also contributed his grain of sand when he has had the opportunity. Statistics reveal the particularities of each center-back. Lenglet excels in long and progressive passes, Giménez dominates in clearances and defensive duels, and Le Normand excels in duels won and fouls received.
This diversity of skills allows Simeone to adapt his defense according to the rival and the circumstances of the match. The competition between these three elite center-backs raises the level of the team and guarantees an iron defense for Atleti.
