Atlético Madrid concluded their pre-season in Sweden, capping a series of friendlies with a 2-0 win over Italian giants Juventus at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg.

After a goalless first half, substitute João Félix needed just three minutes of the second half to get on the scoresheet. A clever pass from Reinildo on the left allowed Samuel Lino to play back, which Ángel Correa feinted and Félix scored.

In the final minutes, Correa was no longer able to deceive as Giuliano Simeone’s persistence earned him a penalty which Correa fired into the bottom corner to give Atletico the lead.

Here are some of the key findings.

Robin Le Normand’s place in defence

We saw Robin Le Normand in the Atlético Madrid shirt for the first time. The new signing from Real Sociedad started on the right side of a back three and looked right at home despite having only been training with his new teammates for a few days.

The Spanish international achieved 100% in both his passing accuracy and tackle success rate, recording a near-dream debut in which he kept Juventus under control and allowed Marcos Llorente the freedom to advance down the right without having to worry about Kenan Yildiz’s advance.

Le Normand will almost certainly be one of the first names on the team sheet for the season opener against Villarreal, but the names of his teammates are far less certain. Perhaps most interestingly, he was deployed on the right-hand side, which meant a change for the players around him.

This also meant that a new face, César Azpilicueta, would play on the left side of the back three. This position is clearly Atleti’s weak point and even in the last week before the start of the La Liga season, there is still no solution.

The fitness of Antoine Griezmann

This was also the first time we saw Antoine Griezmann in action since his return from the 2024 European Championship. At the European Championship, France lost to eventual defending champions Spain in the semi-finals, with Griezmann not being involved in a single goal and continuing his form of mostly looking exhausted, as he did at the end of the 2023/24 season for Atlético.

Here he didn’t show too many signs of improvement. He was able to contribute but he looked tired and not at his best, which could simply be the sign of a 33-year-old coming off an 11-month season and heading into his first pre-season game. But Diego Simeone cannot afford to wait for him to get fit in the first few weeks of the season.

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He hit the woodwork with a powerful shot as he broke down the right flank, reached the byline and almost surprised Michele Di Gregorio in the Juve goal at the near post. That wing was arguably Griezmann’s highlight as he linked well with Marcos Llorente behind him and looked lively in some of the moves, but his fitness remains a concern.

João Félix and Giuliano Simeone give Atletico something it lacks

The re-emergence of João Félix as an option for Cholo Simeone has been one of the headlines of this pre-season for Atlético Madrid and he proved again, coming on as a substitute and scoring after just three minutes in Sweden, showing a power and confidence in the box that had been lacking in Alexander Sørloth, who had little support and looked rusty behind whom Griezmann had been.

It is also worth noting that this was not João’s finest hour of pre-season. He slacked off a bit defensively and seemed less committed than usual, but the decisive moment was a well-taken goal.

Quite the opposite was the case with Giuliano Simeone, another substitute. Diego’s son is now expected to stay with the club for the entire season and it was clear why. He brought immediate energy, tenacity and enthusiasm to the game, despite joining the team just days after returning to the team following his participation in the Olympic Games.

Simeone will not be a regular starter, but he could replace Ángel Correa in that role should his teammate be sold to balance the books. He has a similar profile, but his pace and trickery, as well as his raw determination, have impressed.

4 wins from 4 games in the preseason

With the win in Sweden, Atleti were able to complete their preparations for the 2024/25 season with a 100% win rate. Admittedly, this was the first of three games in which the Colchoneros were tested against real quality, but Atleti looked as confident and efficient as they have throughout the pre-season.

It was a chaotic preseason that did not go according to plan at all. From the last-minute cancellation of the trip to Asia, which was later reduced to a one-off game in Hong Kong, to the late integration of some regular players after international matches.

Photo by Daniele Badolato – Juventus FC/Juventus FC via Getty Images

In this game, Juventus seemed to be in better physical shape than Atletico at times, but that changed as the game progressed. While Juventus tired quickly, Atletico looked fresher and could compete with more quality on the bench.

Given their performances here and in the two more serious encounters against Getafe, Atlético look to be in good form as the new season begins. The concern will be how well some of their later signings perform on the pitch.

Where was the rest of the first team?

While the majority of the squad was in Gothenburg, several first-team players didn’t quite make it. It was a bizarre decision at first, as it seemed that players like Josema Giménez and Nahuel Molina weren’t fully fit, even though Rodrigo de Paul returned at the same time as them. It also left out players like Javi Galán, Thomas Lemar and Arthur Vermeeren, a surprising decision even though they weren’t expected to start.

Instead, they all played for Atlético’s B team in the 3-0 win over Zamora. This was an unexpected and bizarre move, as the players trained on the pitch at Cerro del Espino and it was assumed that they would do anything to get involved. Instead, they were named in the line-up led by first-team coach Luis García Tevenet, rather than Atletico B coach Fernando Torres.

Giménez, Lemar, Vermeeren and Molina all started, alongside young players who have already played in the first team, such as Santiago Mouriño and Carlos Martín. The first-team stars played the first half of the match in Majadahonda and were replaced by B-team regulars in the second half, while Torres also started on the bench for the final 45 minutes.