A look into his time so far in Spain.
Matt Doherty made his debut for Atletico Madrid last weekend, featuring in a fantastic 6-1 win over Sevilla.
Doherty came off the bench on the night, and he is still yet to start a game for his new side, but his debut at the weekend could be the start of more gametime for the Dubliner.
The 31-year-old managed seven touches and completed three of five passes in his brief spell on the pitch, but he probably didn’t do enough to earn a start in their next game.
Saturday evening saw first-choice right-back Nahuel Molina suspended, coach Diego Simeone preferred to start midfielder Marcos Llorente out of position — and he fitted in well, playing a role in three of his team’s goals.
Matt Doherty at Atletico
The Athletic did a recent report to examine what life has been like for Doherty during his first month in Spain, and it doesn’t make for positive reading from an Irish perspective.
The report states that signings under Diego Simeone tend to take quite a while to settle in, and even big-money purchases like Antoine Greizmann had to wait for their time.
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— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) February 27, 2023
Time is not something that Doherty has an abundance of to prove himself though, as he is likely to leave the club at the end of the season when his loan deal expires.
Simeone opting to play a midfielder out of position instead of Doherty in his natural role shows where he is in the pecking order, and it’s hard to imagine him being given a chance to change that.
However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that Doherty has now played for a Spanish giant, in a 6-1 win over another huge club.
The Ireland international reportedly stayed on the pitch for quite some time on Saturday night, soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying the celebrations with his teammates. A memory he is unlikely to forget in a hurry.
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