Forget Diego Costa: Antoine Griezmann now has Atletico Madrid firing on all cylinders

The ball rolls towards the halfway line and Arda Turan picks it up on the right flank. He fends off Fabio Coentrao and drifts inside. Seeing space behind Real Madrid’s central defenders, the Turkey international tries an audacious chip but the rebound only goes as far as Koke, who is subsequently surrounded.

He wasn’t trapped for long; with Alvaro Arbeloa looking to close down all options, the young midfielder nudged a pass into the path of Diego Costa, who nonchalantly slipped behind the enemy’s defence and stormed towards goal, slotting a low shot with finesse past a helpless Diego Lopez. The composed finish itself was merely a sign of things to come.

The result, a 1-0 victory over their arch-rivals, was a key moment in an incredible 2013/14 title race, which was sparked into life by Atletico’s star striker of the time, Costa.

Only four months earlier did a rampaging Atletico Madrid secure the Copa Del Rey when Radamel Falcao and his hotheaded teammate emphatically combined at the Santiago Bernabeu to end a 14-year long hoodoo in El Derbi Madrileño.

The Colombian’s departure that summer certainly raised a few question marks over who would step up to fill the void, and yet it was Atletico’s prodigal son, Costa, who produced the goods, scoring 27 of the side’s 77 La Liga goals in just 35 appearances.

The season would end with the club’s fans partying like 1996, the last time they had claimed the league title. It had taken them 18 years, but that barely mattered.

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It’s almost rather unfortunate that this still needs reiteration, but it certainly does: Sergi Roberto is good at football. Really good.

So good, in fact, that Pep Guardiola once noted that Roberto was good enough to ‘play wherever he wants’. And it appears that either current Coach Luis Enrique took his predecessor’s words literally, or that Lucho sees similarities between the youngster’s style of play and his own.

It’s hard to think, though, that the natural midfielder was, at one stage, close to being lured away to a Stoke City side in search for creative players. Bojan Krkic, once labeled as La Masia’s most promising talent, had gone down that very path and there was little stopping Roberto from following suit.

But patience isn’t a virtue the 23-year-old lacks. The Tarragona native has been featuring in Barcelona’s pre-season tours since 2010, and yet his impressions have all been in vain. The man touted at the Catalans’ next big midfield star had faded and so a contract extension in 2014 came as a surprise.

Barcelona’s transfer ban and Enrique’s influence are possible explanations as the club wanted all bases covered. But with Xavi Hernandez departing during summer 2015, it seemed logical to give Roberto yet another chance. And with the window of opportunity open, the starlet left his mark in emphatic fashion.

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Aleix Vidal vs Dani Alves: Barcelona’s friendly rivalry at right-back

They say that opposites often attract. Perhaps that view holds true; well at least when it comes to Dani Alves and Aleix Vidal’s respective journeys to Barcelona.

Indeed, both at one stage played for Sevilla, they’re typically offensive wing-backs and they made their way to the Camp Nou in their prime.

Despite the similarities though, in many ways they’re complete opposites. One is a phenomenal talent who’s seamlessly adopted the Barcelona style of play, and has played a key role in their successes in recent years; the other is a former Barca academy player.

While one is often flamboyant both on and off the field, the other is content to knuckle down and work hard without much of a fuss.

But finally, what makes this comparison even more intriguing is the fact that both were once rivals, having faced off against each other for different La Liga sides on numerous occasions, and they’re set to restore their rivalry – albeit a more friendly one, one would hope – while donning the same shirt.

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