Could Luciano Vietto’s return to form ignite Atleti’s title charge?

Atletico Madrid overhauled their attack in the summer as they bid adios to Mario Mandzukic, Raul Jimenez, Leo Baptistão, Arda Turan and Raul Garcia. Some left because they failed to bridge the gap left by Diego Costa, one for a chance at a bigger side and others in the search of greater playing time. There are often cases when a player simply doesn’t fit the mould at a side or finds it difficult to adapt to his new surroundings. Then again, Diego Simeone has become accustomed to radical overhauls during his reign at the club and almost every time he – and the board - have got it right.

The headline-grabbing signing this summer was Jackson Martinez from Porto. The clinical Colombian striker had been frequently linked with moves to either the Premier League or La Liga only to stay and sign a new deal at Porto instead. At 28, nearly 29, many felt the chance of a big move had gone but Atletico matched his release clause and it didn’t take long for them to agree on terms. A massive signing and one of major intent, done as if to dispel rumours the club were still under financial limitations.

“Thanks to his size, he heads very well and uses either foot to shoot,” said Atletico’s director of football Jose Luis Caminero. “I am sure that he will greatly increase the potential of our team and will bring plenty to the group. He scored 92 goals in 133 games for Porto during his 3-season stay in Portugal, as well as 13 in 12 Champions League matches. He should’ve been the man to fire Atletico Madrid into genuine, long-term title contenders but it hasn’t worked out that way so far.

He was thrown into the starting XI against Las Palmas but didn’t get going, often reduced to challenging for long balls but not getting anywhere near the opposition’s goal to show what he was capable of. A disappointing debut but it would be unfair to draw too many conclusions from his first appearance in a new team in a new league.

In amongst the hysteria of Atletico signing Jackson people overlooked the signing of Luciano Vietto from Villarreal. The diminutive Argentine striker had scored 20 goals in 48 appearances for the Yellow Submarines and would’ve done better if not for a back complaint which he picked up at the beginning of March. He was one of the hottest properties in Europe and at 22 has a long career ahead of him.

While Jackson wasted no time in making Simeone’s squad the road has been much harder for Vietto. In fact, he was seen struggling to keep up with the strenuous fitness levels demanded by Diego. Unable to match his teammates he was an unused substitute in the opening two La Liga matches. He came on for the last 9 minutes against Barcelona, was taken off at half-time against Eibar before being back on the bench for Getafe. Not great.

He came off the bench against his old side Villarreal but didn’t have much luck either. Things began to change for Vietto in the next game as he came off the bench to snatch a late equaliser against city rivals Real Madrid. Unfortunately he underwent surgery a few days later after suffering from appendicitis. It was a real blow for the youngster and at a time when he was finally beginning to push for a start.

Jackson Martinez continued to be first choice alongside Griezmann with little success until he too was struck down with injury at the end of November. This gave Vietto another chance and last night against Benfica we finally saw the Vietto who looked so deadly in front of goal for Villarreal last season. His intelligent movement in and around the box created space not only for himself but for his teammates too. Could he be the perfect partner for Griezmann?

He was played in behind the Benfica defence last night before unselfishly cutting it back for Saul to power home the opening goal. He drew the defender onto him, shaping as if to shoot before picking out Saul. It was then his turn to get onto the scoresheet. Carrasco, another signing from the summer but one who has hit the ground running, had the time and space to drill a cross into the near post where Vietto got the slightest of touches to direct it in. The cross was good but the movement and finish from Vietto was something else.

With no word yet on when Jackson Martinez is set to return it looks like Vietto will be given a chance to stake a claim for a starting spot. The Colombian [769 mins] has nearly double the playing time of Vietto [459 mins] but both have 3 goals and one assist to their name. It isn’t just in stats where Vietto excels but in his overall contribution to the side. He was out on the wing offering support to his teammates, looking for rebounds and constantly getting away from his marker. This is the Vietto everyone expected to see.

The other possible replacements for Jackson in the starting eleven are Fernando Torres and Angel Correa. Vietto cannot allow himself to fall behind Torres in the pecking order. While not a bad player, Fernando is a shadow of his former self and should only be called upon in emergencies. It’s different for Correa who exploded onto the scene with some neat pieces of play and an eye for goal but he’s probably not ready to be first choice, but a great weapon to have off the bench if you need to freshen things up.

An attacking trio of Griezmann, Vietto and Carrasco could turn out to be really special. Griezmann loves to play off a main striker, finding pockets of space and arriving late into the box. Vietto would be in the middle, creating space for others while also being intelligent enough to know when to get in the box himself. Carrasco has taken over the reigns of Arda Turan and could offer that direct route down the wing. He’s a dangerous prospect coming inside, too.

If those three are given a chance together up front and it works then Atletico fans might allow themselves to dream of winning another La Liga title. Real Madrid and Barcelona once made the mistake of dismissing Atletico Madrid’s title credentials and it cost them both dearly.

Surely they wouldn’t do it again, would they?