Atletico Madrid Barcelona

Big is beautiful again in La Liga: the strongest trend in Spanish football

“Well, we couldn’t find each other much. We lacked that pass between the lines for me and him,” shrugged Antoine Griezmann, after Atletico Madrid had punished Girona for their mistakes on Sunday night, like a matter of fact parent harvesting their child for pocket money in a game of cards. “There are things to improve, but it is the beginning of the season and it is normal that we are missing things,” the Frenchman explained, regarding his relationship with Julian Alvarez, following their first start together.

Nobody could accuse him of exaggeration, as neither Griezmann nor Alvarez found much of anything. They were efficient, Griezmann converting the go-ahead free-kick, Alvarez driving through for a chance one-on-one which he could not bury, but neither had the chance to show much of anything, let alone chemistry with each other. Girona did press well, and while the gutsy Catalans were undone by their hosts, they were wise to Atletico’s front two. How exactly Diego Simeone pieces together his puzzle, and whether it includes Alexander Sorloth, may define their season.

“At River he was a nine, for Argentina he was nine in the World Cup… At City there is Haaland and there they shared duties, or [Julian] fell to the flank. He is qualified to occupy various positions. We have Sorloth and him, and I have a headscratcher. They will be able to play together at various points, or even with Griezmann the three of them,” Simeone told Diario AS.

Griezmann and Alvarez have time to attune their frequencies, but if the latter was brought in to eventually become director general of Atletico’s forces, they certainly played a little like each other at the Metropolitano on Sunday night. On various occasions both came deep, but rarely did the other threaten in behind. Both playing between the lines, they inadvertently became a line, and were detected with ease by the defence.

Griezmann dug out 30, but Alvarez registered just 21 touches in his 80 minutes, and fired one shot in optimism more than anger. Expect Simeone to seek a little malice in the baby-faced star, adored by fans and mothers alike. Alexander Sorloth on the other hand managed 11 touches in his 10-minute cameo, and while he may have been hooked at the half against Villarreal, his presence saw Atletico threaten more in the closing stages than they had in the entire game.

If Griezmann and Alvarez do become the regular pairing up front, Simeone will be zigging while the rest of Spain zags. That’s certainly what Carlo Ancelotti is trying to do at any rate, although who knows how much choice any Real Madrid manager has when it comes to aligning the stars. With a touch of grouchiness that is not the custom for the smooth Italian, Ancelotti has been stubbornly explaining for two weeks now that Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes are in fact compatible.

Last season Real Madrid had a similarly fluid system, and while undoubtedly it is the razor-sharp eyes of Toni Kroos that are most missed, few have reminded that Joselu Mato was on the pitch for more than half of Jude Bellingham’s goals last season in La Liga. Then of course, there was that semi-final, when the one thing Bayern Munich couldn’t live with was a poacher.

Scan down La Liga’s top deals this summer, and 7 of the top 21 deals (until this week, 6 of the top 11) are for what can be classified as ‘classic’ number nines, including Sorloth, but omitting Alvarez, with El Cholo’s permission, and Endrick Felipe. Villarreal, who lost the big Norwegian, plumped for Thierno Barry, who is nothing but tender as his name would suggest in Spanish. Standing over you at 195cm (6’4) tall, Barry caused of three of Villarreal’s four goals in their thriller with Celta Vigo on Monday night, two within five minutes of his introduction to his new fans.

Like Morata before Sorloth at the Metropolitano, all three are mobile, but undoubtedly provide a defined shape to an attack, a presence which cannot be ignored, least of all by defenders. La Liga’s top scorer last season, Artem Dovbyk cuts a similarly daunting figure, and has been replaced by Bojan Miovski – even the most free-flowing side in Spain feel the need not for agility and speed, but size and presence.

Borja Mayoral and Ante Budimir both struck 15 times before they were cruelly halted by injury in the spring, and joining them in Spain’s top 10 scorers last season are Robert Lewandowski and Youssef En-Nesyri. Of that list, only Vinicius, Bellingham and Griezmann escape that rough description, and at one point or another in the last two years, have all been the best player in the country.

Lewandowski is arguably the least mobile of all these forwards discussed. Last season he was seen drifting away from the box and according to a growing contingent of Barcelona fans, closer to retirement. The Polish striker has started off with three goals in his first three games, and is two narrow decisions off another pair.

Former manager Hansi Flick has freed him from the temptation to stick his foot in spaces where it is not needed, and his natural instinct is not only proving highly productive early on, but also preventing a defence from ‘cheating’, leading centre-backs by the hand back to the edge of their own box. It is precisely that space in which the Alex Baenas, Bellinghams, Dani Olmos and Griezmanns are most nimble, most intelligent and most effective.

History instructs that Ancelotti will complete the balancing act with his nuclear attack, but for the rest of Spain, it remains worth remarking that Griezmann and Mbappe have been happiest in their careers with Olivier Giroud in front of them. A big forward, whether a moving target or a more static presence, is most desirable sight in the eyes of La Liga managers at the moment.

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Tags Alexander Sorloth Antoine Griezmann Atletico Madrid Barcelona Jude Bellingham Julian Alvarez Real Madrid Robert Lewandowski Thierno Barry Villarreal
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