This summer has been a successful start for Atletico Madrid, who have returned to the Champions League group stage for the first time in 12 years, and ahead of the new season, the Bianconeri have added a number of talented players to fill the squad.

Atletico finished fourth in the league last season with 19 wins, seven draws and 12 defeats, earning a ticket to the Champions League, which also paid off the investment of more than €8,000 before the season. Sergio Aguero has scored 20 goals this season and has been the main contributor to the team's return to the Champions League, with new signings such as Simão also playing a key role in the team.

Coach Aguirre is getting better and better in charge, but compared to a champion team like Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid is clearly not mature and stable enough, and there were a number of defeats to underdogs last season. Of course, the 66 goals also proved the team's attacking power, a figure that is second only to Real Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga.

Now halfway through the season, Atletico Madrid's overall trend has undoubtedly made the majority of fans breathe a sigh of relief. Although the fourth-place result is not very outstanding and top-notch, compared with the downturn and ups and downs of previous seasons, the stability of the past two seasons is what fans want to see the most.

As early as the beginning of the season, authoritative media made predictions about Atletico's results this season, and it was generally believed that with Atletico's current personnel structure and its coach Aguirre's increasingly sophisticated team, the Sheets would have no problem keeping the top four in the new season if there were no major surprises. However, as Atletico Madrid will compete in the Champions League this season, the team will inevitably make some trade-offs between the two competitions, and if they can go far in the Champions League, it may not be a good thing for Atletico's league results.

This can be said to be in one sentence.

Atletico have managed to stay in the top five of the league this season, and it is very clear that under the leadership of their coach Aguirre, Atletico Madrid is not really focusing on the league, especially when Real Sa is expected to push the points to 70, Atletico Madrid has wisely chosen to focus on the Champions League and regain their reputation in Europe.

In the context of the remaining three quarter-finals, almost all of which were La Liga clubs against La Liga or La C teams, in the face of the helplessness of meeting Villarreal, a strong opponent in La Liga in the Copa del Rey, unexpectedly, the Sheets Army did not show the scene of scolding themselves for their bad luck in the imagination of the melon-eating crowd and drawing the next sign. On the contrary, the whole club quickly united and was running at full speed.

The tight and methodical preparation and low profile in front of the media made people realize that the Sheets were determined to use Villarreal's blood to pour their own Copa del Rey to the top. Looking back at the same serious atmosphere of the Villarreal submarine in the pre-match preparations, one can't help but lament that the supposed unremarkable Copa del Rey quarter-finals have been changed by the meeting of two La Liga teams that should not have met the most.

It's definitely going to be a big battle like Mars hitting Earth!!

Villarreal's various moves in reinforcements are needless to mention, and looking back at Atletico Madrid, compared with last year's huge investment of 80 million euros, the Sheets Army's investment this summer is much more rational. The team brought in six players, including Oujfarusi, Banega and Bangele, for a total of less than 30 million euros, and all of them are strong additions to various positions.

Judging from Atletico's recruitment, the club's policy is clear, that is, to stabilize the defense of the central midfield, as for the purchase of Pongele, in the case of third-line operations, the Frenchman can serve as a substitute for Aguero. At the same time as buying strong reinforcements, Atletico Madrid also purged a number of substitutes such as Reyes and Mista, streamlined the team lineup, and a younger team was formed.

"Remember the lads, Atletico has always had a top-heavy problem, strong in attack and weak in defence! With the help of the home team, they will attack immediately after the opening, and all you need to do is resist their attack! Look at me, stare into my eyes!! You should believe in yourselves and tell yourself that it is not difficult to do! ”

In the dressing room before the game, manager Manuel Pellegrini enthusiastically encouraged his disciples that since Atletico wanted to use themselves as their whetstone, they must teach them a good lesson no matter what! After many encounters and a great deal of understanding of each other, Pellegrini knows that a team like Atletico Madrid, which has gradually started to build up South American players as attackers after the transfer of Torres, is particularly good at controlling and pulling the rhythm, which may be very tricky for the rest of the European managers, but it is not a problem for himself who started out in South America.

The Chilean is confident that as long as their players can withstand the pressure in the opening stages, hold the defence and ensure that Atletico cannot establish a dominant advantage, then the opponent's long-standing top-heavy problems will inevitably be exposed.

Manuel Pellegrini obviously knows that in the summer and winter windows, Atletico Madrid has successively brought in players such as Ujfarusi, Heitinga and Kupe, and these signings can be called the right medicine for the backline, and the two full-backs, Heitinga and Peña, have certain assist ability, which can also help the team to deepen the overall attack.

But is it really that simple to win or lose a game on the football field? Reinforcements are only part of the story, and it's the players who can play what the team needs to do is what matters.

If football is that simple, what else is the need for a manager?

With this in mind, Pellegrini couldn't help but turn his attention to Santhiago again, and the Chilean engineer couldn't be more satisfied with the midfielder, who had only recently moved to Villarreal. With his excellent game reading and rare big-picture vision, as well as the unique foot skills of South American players and the rare self-discipline of South American players, Pellegrini feels that it is difficult to find a second player who is not much different from Santhiago.

If you really want to find a flaw in his performance so far, it can only be said that Santy's strength is still a little worse, and it can't be compared with the real top midfielder, otherwise Villarreal can really look forward to the Champions League this season! Or maybe it's nice to find yourself a player similar to St. Téti!

Thinking of this, Pellegrini himself couldn't help laughing, secretly making fun of how he could have such unrealistic ideas, not everyone can survive the ups and downs of personal experience!