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Las Palmas 1-5 Atlético Madrid: Player Ratings

Ratings from Gran Canaria, where Atlético breezed past Vitolo-less Las Palmas

Jan Oblak, GK: 7

The Slovene had very little to do in the first half, but was pretty active in the second. He conceded after his defense let him down on Jonathan Calleri’s goal, but he made another outstanding spot kick save on Jonathan Viera in the 80th minute.

Šime Vrsaljko, RB: 5

It’s clear Vrsaljko isn’t all the way back from his knee injury and has some more rust to shake off. His attacking activity was somewhat subdued and he completed just over 50 percent of his passes. He also had a surprisingly lax game defensively, as he gave Momo too much space to cross to Calleri for Las Palmas’ goal. That said, I’m confident he’ll be fine against Valencia following internationals.

Diego Godín, CB: 6.5

Godín’s presence alone gave Atlético Madrid much more solidity and comfort at the back. He made several key interventions, and although he got lost in the buildup to the goal, Godín was at the heart of an improved performance from Atlético’s back four.

José Giménez, CB: 6

Not as active/heroic as he was against Girona, but he didn’t have to be. The 22-year-old showed maturity by going the entire 90 minutes without a foul and responded well when called into action. Quiet, yet effective — both at center back and right back.

Lucas Hernández, LB: 8

Superb. A force in the air who tricked more than one defender with his under-appreciated pace. Lucas needs more seasoning in the final third if he’s going to play left back more often, but he showed more intent and audacity there on Saturday night. He’s rounded into a capable deputy for Filipe Luís, even though he is better as a center half.

Koke, RM: 9.5

This is the Koke that Atlético were missing for large patches of 2016/17. He seamlessly drifted all around the midfield and proved efficient with his touches (59) and passing (83 percent). With Gabi on the bench, he was given a chance from the start to take control and singlehandedly put the game away in the second half with two stunning goals: one from outside the box, the other a chilena.

Thomas Partey, CM: 9.5 (Mattress Maker of the Match)

Thomas has certainly proven to Simeone at this point that he deserves consistent, regular playing time. He put in a commanding 90 minutes against Las Palmas, covering every blade of grass and emerging as a counterattack conduit thanks to his ability to intercept the ball. Thomas can win the ball with grace or with power, and he displayed both Saturday. Plus, he hammered home his first goal of the season with a stinging strike at the edge of the area. A key piece moving forward.

Saúl Ñíguez, CM: 7.5

Saúl assisted Yannick Carrasco’s goal after he pinged a sick long ball into the Belgian’s path in the fifth minute. The canterano passed effectively and efficiently — a shade over 93 percent — and combined with Thomas to wall off the middle of the park.

Yannick Carrasco, LM/FW: 8.5

Much better from Carrasco. He was much more involved in Atlético’s buildup and more comfortable playing within the flow of the team, rather than trying to take on every last defender himself. His goal was smooth and well-taken, and he was key to two other goals too, particularly Koke’s overhead strike.

Ángel Correa, FW: 7.5

That’s two goals in two games for Ángelito, who opened the scoring with a dazzling poke home after he slipped around four defenders. He played a bit of an Antoine Griezmann role as the game moved along; he often dropped to a wing or appeared in midfield when Atlético started counters. He’s off to an encouraging start.

Luciano Vietto, FW: 6

Interesting night for Vietto, who made a surprise appearance in Simeone’s XI. He worked hard to harass whoever had possession for Las Palmas — to the point where he could have been sent off — and tried to be an unsettling presence in attack. The end result wasn’t there, and he didn’t manage a shot over his 55 minutes, but he looked as if he was espousing Cholismo.

Gabi, CM: 5.5

Entered for Vietto in the 55th minute. The captain gave away a bad penalty by chopping at Viera’s ankles before Oblak bailed him out.

Fernando Torres, FW: 4

Entered for Correa in the 65th minute. Only four touches in ~25 minutes.

Stefan Savić, CB: 6

Entered for Vrsaljko in the 69th minute. Savić looked more at ease as Atleti had built a multi-goal lead and dealt with his clearances comfortably.