Atletico Madrid missed chance against 'vulnerable' Barcelona, says Terry Gibson
Tuesday 15 September 2015 10:31, UK
Atletico Madrid need to get over their 'inferiority complex' against Barcelona after 'playing scared' on Saturday, according to Terry Gibson.
Fernando Torres gave Diego Simeone's side the lead at the Vicente Calderon but goals from Lionel Messi and Neymar secured a 2-1 win for the visitors.
It was Barca's fifth straight victory over Atleti in all competitions and Gibson told the La Liga Weekly Podcast: "The opportunity was there for Atletico and Simeone to take the game to Barca because they are good enough.
"They can no longer be considered plucky underdogs like when they won the title in 2013/14 because they have spent over 100m euros on top-class players.
"I am concerned it suits Simeone to be a plucky underdog, you can forgive that two or three years ago when they didn't have the resources but now it's changed and I think they should go to toe-to-toe with Barca and should not have this inferiority complex."
Barca were without 'keeper Claudio Bravo and Dani Alves for the trip to the Spanish capital while Messi started the match on the bench.
But they still managed to come from behind and continue their perfect start to the season.
"Barca were vulnerable," said Gibson. "The opportunity was there for Atletico impose themselves on a team that have had a troubled start to the season apart from the results.
"I think they played scared. I hated the sight of [Antoine] Griezmann playing wide on the left just in front of the full-back. He has been fantastic this season and they never gave him a chance to show his talents against Barca.
"It didn't lead to Atletico imposing themselves on Barca… and the last five games have now gone Barca's way."
Gibson also thinks Atletico are lacking urgency in central midfield, saying: "When they won the league they had a back four that didn't need much help, now it's as if the back four are getting help from all the midfielders and it is leaving them short against the better teams when they try to play counter-attacking football.
"I always envisaged Koke would be such an important player that he should be in the central midfield role."
