What we learned about Atlético from Manchester United friendly loss

SOLNA, SWEDEN - AUGUST 1: Arnau Ortiz of Atletico de Madrid celebrates after scoring 0-1 during the pre-season friendly match between Manchester United and Atletico de Madrid at Strawberry Arena on August 1, 2026 in Solna, Sweden. (Photo by Michael Campanella/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Atlético Madrid lost 2-1 to Manchester United at the Strawberry Arena in Stockholm on Saturday in a pre-season friendly, part of the Snapdragon Cup. Youngster Arnau Ortiz put Atleti ahead in the fifth minute, collecting the ball from a corner and swinging a cross toward the far post that curled past everyone and dropped into the net, by his own admission not the pass he intended.

Manchester United leveled shortly after halftime through a Bryan Mbeumo penalty, conceded after a clumsy challenge from Jorge Castillo, then went ahead in the 74th minute when Mbeumo scored again from open play following a run from Jack Fletcher.

Atlético made wholesale changes at the interval, sending on Salvi Esquivel for Jan Oblak, Josema Giménez for Robin Le Normand, and introducing Rodrigo Mendoza and Morten Hjulmand in midfield, with further substitutions following past the hour mark. Hjulmand had the best chance of the second half for Atleti, striking the post as they pushed for an equaliser, although it never materialised.

Here are five takeaways we can glean from the friendly, and what the loss could tell us about Atleti’s 2026/27 team.

A back three or a back four?

The choice of formation was an intriguing one. The 3-4-1-2 used against Getafe was repeated, but there was also a little more flexibility. Jorge Domínguez provided added coverage on the right, allowing Carlos Martín more offensive license in the wing-back role than Matteo Ruggeri had on the left.

It marked a slight change from the win over Getafe, but still left many question marks as to how Diego Simeone will set up his team when the season kicks off. The return of his full squad, expected on August 10th, will likely give a clearer indication of whether Atleti will revert to a back three, used regularly as recently as 2025, or stick with a back four.

What was evident in Sweden was that Ruggeri and Martín were not natural fits for the system. With squad depth limited and exits for both likely, that may not be the biggest cause for concern.

Domínguez as the stand-out youngster

Arguably the least well-known player in the Atleti squad this pre-season, the 16-year-old Domínguez was one of those to stand out — and not just because of his 6 feet, 5 inches of height.

Despite that strength in terms of height and physicality, Domínguez had little work to do in the air with only a single aerial duel. He did rack up an impressive 12 ground duels, winning half of them, and five tackles with three recoveries. He looked as reliable, if not more, as the far-more experienced duo of Le Normand and Dávid Hancko alongside him in the back three.

Atleti remain on the hunt for a central defender, with speculation again linking the club to Tottenham captain Cuti Romero. But Domínguez is staking his claim to have an increasing first team role this season, despite his youth.

Will Arnau Ortiz be competing for a first-team role?

At the age of 24, Arnau Ortiz is in a fascinating position as he battles for an improbable place in Simeone’s team. Amid interest from across the top two divisions of Spanish football, there is speculation that El Cholo has been impressed with what he’s seen from Arnau, and he could keep him for squad depth this season.

Ortiz scored 23 goals in 38 games for Fernando Torres’ Atlético Madrileño last season, demonstrating a strong eye for goal that he has maintained across two preseason friendlies. Here, he put Atleti ahead inside five minutes. Arnau collected the ball from a corner and swung a cross toward the far post that curled past everyone and dropped in.

Operating in a role switching with Ademola Lookman between a central and wide left offensive position, Arnau was lively and had the confidence to take Manchester United on. His three shots was a joint-high among all of the players involved, while only one other player managed more than a single shot for Atleti.

This was a weakened line-up, but it will be intriguing to see how involved Arnau remains as the first-team regulars return in Korea and Marseille in the coming weeks.

Rodrigo Mendoza still needs to step up

Through the early stages of pre-season, we’ve seen Cholo Simeone experiment with Rodrigo Mendoza in a more advanced role as a number 10, and it was perhaps made clear why, as he struggled under pressure and conceded possession in his own final third to allow Manchester United to score their second goal.

Mendoza recorded a poor 81 percent pass completion in the holding midfield role, some change from the 96 percent recorded by Koke in the same role in the first half. It reflected a real concern about his potential to develop into a long-term replacement for the captain, or as a viable player at this level.

Mexico international Obed Vargas has looked more comfortable, and with the arrival of Hjulmand and the return from injury of Pablo Barrios, it’s understandable that Mendoza’s minutes may be limited. A loan move may be needed to help him progress.

The pain of watching Josema Giménez in 2026

Not so long ago, Giménez was one of the most dominant defenders in Europe. Sure, he’d have injuries every now and then, but when he was available, he was rock solid.

Nowadays, he’s not even that. He’s played 90 minutes only six times in 2026, and even then he’s looked a shadow of his former self.

Here, his reading of play was all over the shop, looking more exposed than many of the youngsters in and around him in the side. In particular, his positioning for United’s second goal was woeful, and looked more like an issue of a proven veteran whose body couldn’t keep up than one of inexperience.

It’s clear that Giménez is not an option that Simeone can count on this season, and he is som...

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