Atlético Madrid's Early Test in Portugal
If you were expecting fireworks from Atlético Madrid in their first run-out of the new season, you’ll have to wait a bit longer. The Spanish giants headed to Portugal to face FC Porto at the Dragão on August 4, and left with a 1-0 defeat. It wasn’t a rout—one goal sealed it for Porto, but that's all they needed as Atlético played with the caution of a team shaking off summer rust.
This wasn’t just a game on the calendar. With the pre-season underway and a fresh La Liga campaign set for mid-August, coach Diego Simeone took the chance to play around with his lineup and tactics. He set up the team in an unusual 4-3-2-1—sometimes morphing into a 4-3-3—showing he’s open to tweaks this year. New kid Matteo Ruggeri slotted in at left-back, while Álex Baena got the nod as a left-sided central midfielder. Simeone’s experiments were clear: test the new faces and see how the squad blends before the competitive games kick off.
New Faces and Tactical Experiments
The match itself didn’t see much by way of attacking flair from Atlético. Porto’s defense held strong, not giving an inch. The midfield, anchored by Baena, was neat but struggled to create clear chances. Atlético’s changes in shape—from a narrow midfield to a more classic forward line—looked solid defensively, but up front there was little spark. Ruggeri, handed an early audition at left-back following his summer arrival, kept things tidy but rarely got the chance to bomb forward.
Porto’s goal was nothing particularly flashy, but it exposed Atlético’s need for a bit more sharpness and communication at the back. For Simeone, these games are all about fine-tuning, testing depth, and figuring out who’s ready to fight for a starting spot. He’ll be looking for his attackers—who mostly went missing in this match—to shake off the cobwebs as the pre-season schedule moves on.
The squad now turns its attention to St James’ Park, where they face Newcastle United in another friendly on August 9. These matches aren’t about results, but about finding fluency and fitness. All eyes will be on Simeone’s next line-up, and whether Atléti start showing signs of rhythm ahead of the big La Liga opener against Valencia on August 17. It might be early doors, but every training session and friendly now counts towards getting this new-look side firing when the real action begins.
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