Atletico Madrid

[Barca Serbia]

I've always considered them a joke.I mean,they do have a good team,judging by names,but never manage to do something big...For years they've been spending huge amounts of money,but still no result. We'll see what they can do this season.

[Bojan]

Banega would have been a dead man if they hadn`t pulled that 4-4 in the end. I watched them vs. Villarreal, they had a game under control. 2-0 lead, and one stupid move ruined the game for them. No wonder Valencia let him out on load

[FCBNOF]

They've pitted us against them in the spanish cup, first match at Vicente Calderon jan 7th.. your thoughts?

[Bojan]

Thanx for the info.

Well, Pap said he wanted a tough opponent. Looks like he got one!
I`m glad we got them.

[FCBNOF]

This will be a real test, a decisive match in the spanish cup and i reckon they won't be as easy as they were in the camp nou.

[Bojan]

Maybe it`s time for Aguirre to pack his bags. They`ll be very disappointed if they fail to qualify for CL. Sevilla was weakened this year so I guess that was their chance to grab the 4th spot

[FCBNOF]

We play them tommowro night, probably if we knock them out then Copa del ray will come back to thier rightful owners this year.

[Evil]

I won't consider things done until after the match despite the 2 goal advantage we have, I remember what happened 2 seasons ago against Getafe, and the League match last season against Betis (were up 2 goals at half time then lose the match 2-3) .. So I'll be keeping it cool :roll:

[Bojan]

A little intro on Atletico team as we are playing them tonight

Best player in midfield for me is Assunção, Brazilian, signed from Porto is probably the most constant player, very experienced and with good positioning. Raul Garcia, young Spanish international, plays beside him. Garcia has all that it takes to become a great player but he`s still prone to mistakes.
On a loan from Valencia - Banega, is another option in midfield. This guy is yet to prove his 18 mil. pricetag.

Goalkeepers spot are held by Leo Franco - first option and a solid GK. Coupet, once a brilliant keeper for Lyon, is a good backup.

Defence is the biggest problem for Atleti.
Pair of central defenders Ujfalusi - Heitinga, sounds good on paper. But they haven`t clicked yet and are making many mistakes. Ujfalusi in particular. Heitinga is too attacking minded so he`s often late for his main defensive tasks. Alternatives are: Pablo, Domínguez and Perea.. Pablo seriously dropped his form in the last year. Went from Spanish international to backup in Atletico. Domínguez is a youngster - 19 y.o. and a great prospect. Perea is one of the fastest defenders out there and is of good use in RB too.

Fullbacks Right: Perea and Seitaridis. Left: Pernía and Antonio López. Ever since he got injured, Seitaridis has been on of the weakest links in the team. Pernía and Antonio López are in the similar situation as Pablo. Both have lost their places in national team due to the below par performances. All in all, full backs are almost as bad as central defense, except for Perea who puts in a solild performances.

Wings are the most potent part of the team. We all know who is Maxi Lopez, been scoring some important goals for Atletico and a constant threat to opposition teams. Next, Simao - many call him " the engine", as he starts or creates the most chances , without him, Atletico is not the same team. Moving on to Luis García - former Barca player. He`s not the same player from his Liverpool days, far from his best form but the team from Madrid has another winger at thier disposal: 22 y.o. Miguel de las Cuevas. I very much like this player and think he`ll develop even more.

As for the AMCs - Maniche is the only one worth his place as young Camacho still has a lot to learn. Maniche plays on and off. When on a good day he can decide the game but most of the time he just looks unmotivated. Camacho is the player to keep an eye on - definitely a future for Spanish football.

Forwards: Agüero, Forlán, Sinama-Pongolle is the best part of Atletico. No need to waste words here. Aguero is one of the best prospects in the World. Forlan has been Europe`s golden boot and Sinama is there to jump in. A very good player, proven in La Liga.

[FCB-Michael]

They play crap for months and the produce a memorable performance vs. us. Same as Espayol. I just hope they don`t bend over for Madrid in the next round, like Asspanyol did

[FCBNOF]

They will, trust me.

[mmandela]

Yep, they will lose against Los Francos

[ZenI]

Yep, they will lose against Los Francos

And they didn't! They played really well, and 1-1 was not a fair result. Atletic played much better with Aguero and Forlan missed 3-4 very good chances (Forlan hit the post and Aguero was very dangerous all the time). I have to say that I really like their attacking style of football. When it works and when Simao, Forlan and Aguero are in a good mood, they are very dangerous.

[mmandela]

yeah, to bad they didn't win but atleast they stole 2 points from Real

Agree with you about their football, very attractive when it works

[FCBNOF]

This season's matches against them..
they won 1
and lost 1
goals for us: 9
goals for them: 4
Resaults: Home 6-1 and away 4-3
they took 3 points and lost 3