Is Atletico Madrid a better side without Falcao and can they actually break the big-two stronghold?

Radamel Falcao was an absolute giant when it came to the contribution he had in making Atletico Madrid a force to reckon with in Spain and his 68 goals in 83 starts for the club made him the club’s most dangerous striker in recent times. It is mainly the Colombian striker’s form and talent which propelled Atletico to the third place in the La Liga standings and also into the UEFA Champions League. The striker accounted for almost one third of the team’s total goals and the honours earned by the striker for Atletico speaks volumes about his success and commitment.

It is safe to say that the £51m transfer to big spending French side Monaco brought great shock for both the club and its fans. Falcao was a major asset for Atletico Madrid and most experts wrote the team off because of the absence of their talisman. The transfer market was not that impressive for the club where they signed Spanish striker David Villa for a mere €2.1million instead of much fancied target Jackson Martinez.

Six matches have already passed in the new season and Atletico Madrid has already scored 18 times through seven different scorers which has placed them in the second spot in La Liga just behind leaders Barcelona.

Diego Costa has been an instrumental piece in the Atletico offense, but with Falcao in the team, his role was mostly supporting the striker and it was clear that the 24 year old Brazilian was unable to find his rhythm in the recent times. But with new recruit David Villa by his side, the scene has changed completely for the youngster. Costa is vastly improved, motivated and his finishing has quite improved thanks to this new partnership. Diego Costa has already scored seven goals in this season compared to last season which saw him take it till April to reach this tally.

The absence of Falcao has also beneficial to the club from the creative point of view. The last two seasons saw the attack completely depend on the charismatic Colombian, but this season, Atletico Madrid has resorted to quick passing combinations between proven talents like Gabi, Koke and Arda Turan. This strategy has proven quite effective as the movement upfront has improved beyond leaps and bounds which were evident in the club’s clash against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup. The major factor driving the team’s performances seem to be the team cohesion which has enabled them to improve their performance after the departure of Radamel Falcao. This season, the club has opted for hard workers like Arda Turan and Costa which has made the transition easy for the team. The club has been practising a more pressing game play to encourage passing football which has benefitted them vastly in the new season.

Arda Turan and Koke have been the stars for the club this season and they are turning out to be the trump cars up Atletico’s sleeves. Koke finished last season with an impressive pass completion rate of almost 81% along with three goals and nine assists. His impressive form has continued to this season also with the highly rated midfielder playing a stellar role for the Spain U 21 team and he has already managed to bag two goals and seven assists. Another driving force in the Madrid club’s starting line up has been Turkish winger Arda Turan who is turning into one of the best young midfielders in the world. The 26 year old has developed as a major asset for the club and in this season, he already has three assists and three goals in eight starts.

Atletico Madrid has also conducted some smart businesses in the recently concluded transfer market which included talented transfers like Josuha Guilavogui, Toby Alderweireld, Leo Baptistao, Dani Aranzubia, Jose Gimenez and Roberto who has given the Madrid squad a much needed depth. Diego Simeone has concentrated on creating a youth squad with the help of his experienced commodores.

The most important factor in Atletico Madrid’s impressive performance has been their new recruit David Villa who arrived from the Catalans this season. The Spanish striker has overcome his injury issues from the past and he seems all set to make his mark for the Madrid club. The €2.1million transfer fee was not justifiable for a player of his stature and he seems hell bent on proving his worth for his new employers.

The Spanish international is an experienced veteran thanks to his pivotal role for Barcelona both in La Liga and also in the UEFA Champions League. He has been a part of many title winning Catalan sides, but this first team appearances dried out in the later stages which was a major cause of his transfer. But it seems that the transfer can be an excellent opportunity for Villa to recapture his glory days and announce his return to prime form. He is regarded as the ideal replacement for Radamel Falcao and he is also enjoying regular starts which became a raritytowards the end in h

However, his move to Atletico is an opportunity for Spain’s leading goal scorer to recapture those glorious days of the past and signals a fresh start. He is seen by Diego Simeone as Falcao’s ideal replacement and there is no doubt that Villa will be given every chance to start, an aspect which became a rarity towards the end of Villa’s time at the Camp Nous Barcelona days. David Villa will also have the luxury to play European football at Atletico Madrid which will allow him to play against the impressive defences of Europe and prove his ability.

The improvement for Atletico Madrid is quite clear after the appointment of Simeone in 2011 and the side has surprised the critics by their climb up the La Liga ladder. Simeone’s side has shown great potential this season and they seem to be the most likely candidate to end the domination of Barcelona and Real Madrid in the BBVA la Liga even after the transfer of Falcao.