Okay so yesterday I decided to dig into Getafe versus Atlético Madrid since I wanted to understand what’s really going on with their lineups and tactics. Here’s how my whole afternoon went down messing with this stuff.
First I went hunting for lineup clues
Started by opening five different football news tabs on my laptop at lunch time. All those sites kept saying “probable lineup” or “expected to start” nonsense. Felt like everyone was just guessing same as me. Pulled up Getafe’s last match report and saw their coach Bordalás always uses that 5-3-2 formation with two walls of defenders. Crazy how stubborn he is with that system.
Then the Atleti puzzle hit me
Simeone’s team sheet felt like playing sudoku. Checked training photos – Griezmann was smiling so figured he’s starting. Saw this tweet saying Savic wasn’t in the group bus. Forced me to reopen my notes app and scribble out four different backline combinations before giving up. Remembered Atleti’s injury report about Depay still being out so just scratched my striker options down to Morata plus maybe Correa.
The lightbulb moment came when…
Official team sheets finally dropped thirty minutes before kickoff! Jumped to La Liga’s site like my life depended on it. Saw Getafe listed exactly how I thought:
Getafe: Soria – Suárez, Alderete, Duarte, Damián, Alvarez – Maksimovic, Milla – Greenwood – Mayoral, Latasa
Felt so smug seeing I nailed nine out of eleven starters.
Atleti side was weirder though:
Atlético: Oblak – Molina, Savic, Giménez, Hermoso, Carrasco – De Paul, Koke, Llorente – Griezmann, Morata
Never expected Savic to suddenly appear or Hermoso at left-back! My prediction went down the drain there.
Breaking down the tactics chaos
During first half I kept scribbling on my notepad:
- Getafe doing their usual parking two buses tactic with Greenwood floating
- Atleti’s left side looked exposed when Hermoso got caught upfield
- Griezmann kept dropping too deep leaving Morata stranded like lost puppy
Realized Getafe’s plan was just kicking long balls to Mayoral whenever Carrasco pushed up. So freaking simple yet effective. Finished my Pepsi at halftime thinking “damn why didn’t I predict this obvious target man strategy?”
My final takeaways
- Lineup confirmations are always a circus until last minute
- Never doubt Bordalás will play 5 defenders even if aliens invaded
- Simeone will surprise you when you least expect it
The most basic tactics sometimes work best – like Getafe just whacking balls to tall strikers. Wrapped up my notes feeling kinda proud even though Atleti’s lineup shocked me. Might post these scribbles to my blog later!