Atlético de Madrid drew 0-0 at home to Espanyol in a very frustrating encounter for the red-and-whites. After a spectacular first hour, Simeone's men were unable to score a goal, despite having chances of all kinds. As the minutes passed, they became more desperate and the team's play became slower and less intelligent.
Diego Pablo Simeone was criticised for substituting Pablo Barrios at half-time and for bringing on Reinildo Sorloth in the 75th minute. In the minutes in which the Norwegian was not on the pitch, it seemed that the finishing was lacking inside the area. It seems that the fans were not the only ones to notice this and one player commented on it to the Argentine coach.
Pablo Barrios explains it to Simeone
When the second half's hydration break ended, Simeone turned to Pablo Barrios. The young academy player, somewhat desperate, told the coach: "There's no one macho." He said this after the Argentine told him that he should coach more.
One interpretation of Barrios' statement could be the same as mentioned above, the lack of a finisher in the area. At the end of the match, several balls were passed around the area without finding anyone who managed to score the winning goal. The other interpretation could be the lack of teammates to associate with in the centre of the field.
In desperation at not being able to score a goal, Atlético de Madrid split into two. The midfield was non-existent and the youth player found few passing lanes to connect with his more advanced teammates.
Lots of shots without goals
Atlético de Madrid had 22 shots against Espanyol, failing to score a goal. Le Normand, Pablo Barrios and Riquelme agreed on one thing, that the only thing missing was scoring. That is what the three players said in their respective interviews after the match.
This weekend, against Athletic Club at San Mamés, if the team wants to take the victory, it will have to sharpen its aim. It will also be Simeone's duty to get the changes right, as like everyone in this life, he also makes mistakes sometimes.