Club profile: Atlético Goianiense
Atlético Goianiense are a team on the rise after securing promotion to Brazil’s Série A for the 2024 campaign.
The Dragão finished fourth in dramatic fashion, winning their final match of the season 3-0 against Guarani FC and ending just a single point ahead of three other teams.
As Jair Ventura prepares his side for their return to Brazil’s top division, we used the Twenty3 Toolbox to profile the club and highlight some of their key players.
Attacking fluency
The major theme of Atlético Goianiense’s promotion campaign was attacking football.
They registered the second-most goals (56) and the most assists (34) in Série B last season — and clinical finishing meant they dramatically over performed their expected goals total of 48.28.
They also recorded 660 touches inside the opposition box, as well as 587 progressive runs, an indication of their propensity to get the ball into dangerous areas as often as possible.
The loss of top scorer loanee Gustavo Coutinho, who was sold to Sport Recife by parent club Fortaleza, will come as a blow.
But holding onto Luiz Fernando is key. The 27-year-old forward bagged nine goals and chipped in with two assists last season — that return is sustainable, as is clear from his xG of 7.04 and 3 expected assists.
Fernando is also an elusive dribbler, completing 51 take-on attempts last season. His polished skill set makes him a key player for Atlético Goianiense in attack.
Moving the ball
Atlético Goianiense were among the most possession-dominant sides in Brazil’s Série B last season.
Ventura’s men completed the second-most passes (13,857) and successful crosses (262).
They were also successful with 277 of their 357 link-up attempts, with key players developing an almost telepathic mutual understanding as the campaign progressed.
Midfielder Shaylon was integral, providing 10 goal contributions — four goals and six assists — with no player featuring in more sequences ending in the final third (983).
He received the eighth-most passes in the league (1,170), ranked first for through-balls attempted (46) and was Dragão’s designated set-piece taker, delivering 90 corners.
The Brazilian is influential in midfield and his performances will be vital in the top flight.
Goalkeeping heroics
Out of possession, Atlético Goianiense are less polished.
They are good at forcing high turnovers, having racked up 981 completed ball recoveries in the opponent’s half.
An element of risk is taken in employing such an approach, though. They conceded 41 non-penalty goals, a total that could have been even higher given their xGA of 51.4.
Despite the occasional high-quality chances afforded to opponents, goalkeeper and club captain Ronaldo produced some impressive performances to keep the ball out of the net.
He made the second-most saves (116) among goalkeepers in the division, won 19 of his 20 aerial duels and kept 11 clean sheets in the process.
The 27-year-old also made 48 interceptions and played 563 passes with an accuracy of 80.43%.
Ronaldo is likely to be tested regularly again in a higher division and will undoubtedly be an indispensable figure for Atlético Goianiense in the 2024 campaign.
Tough test
The future for Atlético Goianiense holds plenty of promise, given the quality in the squad and their cohesiveness as a unit.
They have started 2024 well, reaching the second stage of Campeonato Goiano — a tournament they have won twice in a row and 17 times in total.
Shaylon is continuing the season as he left off as Dragão’s leading scorer in the competition with six goals, while Fernando has four of his own.
New signings have already started to make themselves at home, most notably defensive reinforcements in Guilherme Romão, Maguinho and Adriano Martins.
Though the level of competition is set to go up a notch, Atlético Goianiense will be confident of maintaining their Brazil Série A status beyond 2024.
All visualisations in this article were produced with the Twenty3 Toolbox. For more information, please get in touch below.