When the draw for this season's UEFA Champions League was released, one of the fixtures which caught the attention of many was the match between reigning champions Bayern Munich and perennial title contenders Atlético Madrid. However, despite the expectations heading into the first matchday of the tournament, not many could have predicted just how one-sided this match would be.
In a dominant display that illustrated why they are the defending champions and clearly the team to beat this season, Bayern utterly torched Atlético, beating the Madrid club 4-0. Kingsley Coman scored two goals, while Leon Goretzka and Corentin Tolisso also made their way onto the scoresheet.
This was an unexpected result because not only are Atlético typically in the mix for the title; they have also been the gold standard for overachievement with limited resources for the past decade. Despite their relative lack of financial might and glamour when compared to many of Europe's other leading clubs, Atlético have been very competitive over the past 10 years and were just minutes away from what would've been a legendary first Champions League title over city rivals Real Madrid in 2014.
During the past off-season, Atlético even managed to land the services of former Barcelona legend Luis Suárez. After a glittering six-year run in Catalonia, the arrival of new head coach Ronald Koeman saw the Uruguayan forced out of Camp Nou, leaving Atlético free to take advantage and make one of the biggest signings in club history.
However, the way that events transpired proved to be worrying for Atlético. Although they have outperformed expectations for many years now, at some point they will no longer be able to keep it up. Sadly for fans of Los Rojiblancos, their heavy loss in Bavaria may have shown that this could be the year when it all comes crashing down.
Atlético were not even remotely a threat throughout the match. While it is true that their German opponents were clearly the superior team, one would nevertheless have expected a far better performance out of Diego Simeone's team. It is clear that this iteration of Atlético Madrid is nowhere near the level of their 2013-17 team.
For years, Atlético have been able to handle departures of players such as Diego Forlán, Sergio Agüero, Fernando Torres, Thibaut Courtois, and Antoine Griezmann without letting these departures have a severely negative impact on the team's performance. However, this may very well be coming to an end soon. Atlético have already begun to show signs of decline, especially over the past two seasons.
Although Atlético finished second in La Liga in the 2018-19 season, they did so with just 76 points. This tally represented their lowest in six years. They also failed to qualify for both the Copa del Rey and Champions League quarterfinals; this had not happened to them since 2007. Last season, their league points total of 70 was their lowest since 2012. They were also eliminated from the Copa del Rey in the round of 32 and the Champions League in the quarterfinals.
This is a team of which much more than what they have produced thus far was expected at the beginning of the season. They have by far the world's best goalkeeper in Jan Oblak. Apart from Suárez, their squad also boasts the likes of Kieran Trippier, Ángel Correa, João Félix, Saúl Ñíguez, and Yannick Carrasco, among others. Add in iconic head coach Simeone in the dugout, and you have a team which should on paper be one of the top seven or eight in Europe.
It might very well appear that the law of averages has finally caught up to Atlético. Their entire club - front office, scouting, coaching staff, players, everyone, really - has been a role model for every other football club in the world in virtually every way. However, given their limited resources when compared to their rivals at the top table, they might no longer be able to defy the odds as they have done so valiantly for so long.
Make no mistake about it - the Atlético Madrid team of 2011 until the present day will be remembered with the greatest fondness even decades from now. If the club is appropriately grateful, someday a statue of Simeone should proudly guard the front gate of the Wanda Metropolitano.
That being said, we might be witnessing the beginning of the end - and maybe a subsequent rebuild.
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