Specialization in sports continues to break unimaginable limits as the years go by. In the NBA, for example, there are players whose role on the team is called "microwave," as their job is to heat up the game by scoring points from the bench. This season, in Atlético de Madrid, Simeone has borrowed this idea... and it’s paying off with great results.

Simeone’s New Strategy

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, FIFA changed some rules, one of which was increasing the number of substitutions from three to a total of five. Some coaches, like Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti, are not big fans of making many substitutions. Simeone, however, has found the trick to using this weapon.

This season, Atlético de Madrid has scored 81 goals across the matches played in La Liga, Champions League, and Copa del Rey. Of those 81 goals, 29 have come from players who came on from the bench. In other words, the substitutes of Atlético de Madrid have generated 35% of the team’s goals this season.

The Huge Difference Between the Substitutes of Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid

There’s no doubt that Simeone is one of the best strategists in the world. Especially when it comes to planning Champions League knockout rounds: "I focus on what can happen in the 90 minutes. I imagine the games as a card game, I need them all because without them, I can’t play, and I have the possibility of managing certain situations." In Real Madrid, however, the substitutes have only contributed to 10% of the goals.

In the last match against Athletic Club, for example, Atlético de Madrid secured the victory thanks to a goal by Julián Álvarez coming off the bench. However, the main representative of this strategy is Alexander Sorloth, who has scored eight of his 13 goals as a substitute. Additionally, Real Madrid is one of his favorite victims, as he’s scored four goals in eight matches against them.