To say that the season thus far has not gone according to plan for the reigning La Liga champions would be an understatement. They are currently fourth in the league and trail city rivals Real Madrid as well as Real Sociedad and Sevilla. There is a genuine possibility that Atlético might fail to qualify for next season's Champions League. If they were to do so, such a failure would occur for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
In the Champions League, Atlético's loss to Milan put them in last place in Group B. Their match against Porto on December 7 will prove to be decisive. Should Atlético be unable to leave Portugal with the victory, they will have been eliminated in the group stage - a stunning turn of events for a team expected to be in contention for a first Champions League title in club history.
At the beginning of this season, no one could have expected Atlético to be struggling like this. Considering the fact that Real did not significantly strengthen their squad during the off-season transfer window as well as the constant state of dysfunction which continues to plague Barcelona, Atlético were in prime position to clinch back-to-back league titles for the first time in over 70 years.
In addition, Atlético's Champions League group of Liverpool, Porto, and Milan was a group which, while deemed to be fairly difficult, was one from which Atlético were generally expected to advance to the knockout stage. Instead, they might very well be knocked out in the group stage for just the second time over the past nine seasons.
Many of Atlético's main players have undoubtedly underperformed this season. Players such as Antoine Griezmann, Ángel Correa, Stefan Savić, and most alarmingly of all, Jan Oblak have been nowhere near the levels that they reached last season. Despite being Atlético's top scorer with seven league goals, Luis Suárez's play has been inconsistent outside of his finishing. The only players who have been impressive for Atlético this season are Yannick Carrasco and José Giménez.
Atlético also jeopardized their prospects this season with an unimpressive transfer window. Of their three off-season signings, none have managed to make a significant impact; they are not particularly expected to do so, either. Their haul of Marcos Paulo, Rodrigo De Paul, and Matheus Cunha for a combined €65 million was rather underwhelming. Even their decision to bring back Griezmann for a second stint on a loan deal from Barça may have proven to be a poor one. It appears that Griezmann's best days are now permanently in the rearview mirror. He is clearly not the player he was just two to three years ago. At 30, it is unlikely that he will ever return to that level.
Of course, it cannot be forgotten that Atlético have the ultimate trump card in their corner: head coach Diego Simeone. Time and again, the Argentinean has proven his strategic genius. If there were ever to be a coach who could lead Atlético out of this predicament, it would surely be "El Cholo". For almost the entirety of his tenure at the Wanda Metropolitano, Simeone has thrived in the underdog role. It appears that he will once again have to drag Atlético out of a tough spot as they seek to turn their season around.
The next transfer window in January could be pivotal for Atlético's success during the second half of the season. An infusion of some much-needed new blood could be exactly the shake-up that Atlético need to get their season back on track.
There are teams which have achieved great success after having been in even more dire positions than Atlético's current situation, so it isn't impossible by any means for Atlético to salvage their season. However, if things do not improve soon, it might just be time to be legitimately concerned about Atlético Madrid.
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