Why Atletico Madrid’s Bayer Leverkusen comeback is much more than that

If you had to choose, you’d probably categorise Diego Simeone as more of canine figure than feline, but there was no mistake on Tuesday night – he was purring about his football team. Atletico Madrid went a man down after just 25 minutes to a smooth and sophisticated Bayer Leverkusen side, and in first half stoppage time, their defence was breached too. By full time, Simeone would be speaking with a warm, fatherly pride, eyes glowing. Giuliano Simeone wasn’t the object of his praise though.

Los Colchoneros beat, or rather ripped apart, Sparta Prague and Real Valladolid 6-0 and 5-0 respectively in the same week in November, and yet Simeone never came close to looking as thoroughly content as he did on Tuesday. El Cholo was set for the soundest of sleeps, nourished by everything he asks for. “Much more than just a comeback,” in his own words. Humble, leadership, talent, goals. Those were adjectives Simeone used for Julian Alvarez, but they may as well have been for the team, and in part explains why the World Cup-winner is slowly but surely becoming the player that will justify his transfer fee.

“We talked at half-time, we perfectly identified the game we had to play and we chose how to approach the second half.”

“You see the ability to suffer and you see the interpretation of how to approach these encounters. And they did it perfectly. We won a game that the boys will remember – Do you remember that game we were one down and we turned it around with a man less? People will remember it.”

Growing and rising, that spirit is inflating the chests of the Atletico players, and the Leverkusen victory will stoke the furnaces at the Metropolitano. This season Los Colchoneros have now authored eight comebacks, this perhaps their finest. Defeat against Leganes last weekend, and their first half threatened to let the air out of a title challenge. As Los Rojiblancos tried to equal the number of players on the pitch, deliberately identifying which Leverkusen players had been booked, Rodrigo de Paul beamed while he wound up the opposition, laughing maniacally. Giuliano’s indomitable attitude, which helped spark their turnaround in November, was defiant with every sprint. They were enjoying it.

“Hopefully we won’t have to do it like this all the time,” Simeone said only out of duty. It might not be good for his heart, but the response made Simeone as gooey as he gets. “The team in the second half was commendable. It was beautiful to watch, thrilling. The team interpreted every situation, every duel… It was much more than a comeback. There is more to it. There is a team that played with intelligence, courage, that knew how to choose the moments and look for those details that win you games.”

On the other end of the result was gentleman genius Xabi Alonso. The cool figure that has dismantled Bayern Munich and many more attended his post-match interview with stew of disdain and resignation. Few have faced as many of the 21st century’s dynasties as Alonso, but in the face of this Atletico, futility glazed his words.

“The key moment was the 1-1. It changed the emotional moment for Atleti and that had a huge impact on us. The game opened up, we were no longer able to read the game. Until the draw we had played a very solid game. We were not able to take it the game where we wanted, they are very good at that, taking it to their terrain.”

“You have to manage your energy, your reading of the game, and know how to react when you are overwhelmed” – a perfect description of what Simeone’s side did do.

If their comeback over Leverkusen was Atletico’s most impressive, perhaps the most important epics were both away from home against Paris Saint-Germain (2-1 in November) and Barcelona in December (2-1 in December). In those games, the stakes were higher, and the opposition hungry for blood – a footballing siege, Atletico manned the barracks and defended the gate. Through the exhaustion and adversity, Atletico retained the clarity and intelligence to strike in the final seconds against the odds. Across the three games against PSG, Barcelona and Leverkusen, Atletico averaged 32% possession and scored 6 goals from 9 shots on target, and a total expected goals of 2.53. They were outshot 54 times to 14. Precisely that ability to remain in tact, to be sharp of mind regardless of circumstance is what suggests a shift in this Atletico Madrid.

Ocho remontadas del Atlético en esta temporada:2-1 Leipzig3-1 Leganés1-2 PSG2-1 Alavés1-3 Cacereño4-3 Sevilla1-2 Barça2-1 Leverkusen

— Pedro Martin (@pedritonumeros) January 21, 2025

This is not to say that Atletico have returned to their former glories stylistically, nor in terms of weapons and strategy. Certainly compared to their most recent title win, Atletico play more entertaining football and with better footballers. Seeing Simeone’s reaction though, feeling his words and his admiration for his own players, in terms of character, this is as ‘Cholista’ as has been seen in some time. Reminded of their own robust character by their wins against PSG and Barcelona, Atletico relished the toil. Up against another behemoth, they’ll add this experience to reinforce an iron belief.

Under Simeone, Atletico may have had better squads still, and this season may end up less successful than others, but this group feels closer to Simeone in personality. One that “believes, works, searches, perseveres and perseveres again.” Regardless of what money or talent arrives at the Metropolitano, any club, manager or person will logically be more comfortable with an attitude and an approach in communion with the narrative they have of themselves. In recent seasons, it looked as if the club’s recruitment was diverging from Simeone’s true desires. Now, Cholismo threatens an uprising again.