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Belgian winger Yannick Carrasco arrived at Atletico Madrid from AS Monaco in the summer as a replacement for the outgoing Arda Turan, but he had to bide his time before making an impact for his new club.

It was late September before he managed his first start in La Liga, and he was subbed off there at half-time, leading to premature worries he might not be fitting in as required. But those fears were soon swept aside with a series of inventive, fast-paced performances with impressive end product, both as starter and impact sub.

Carrasco has quickly become an important player for Atleti on account of his differentiation from the other players in the squad—a pivotal part of the attack who will have a big impact over the course of the season as the club challenge for major honours.

Versatility and suitability

In Diego Simeone's preferred 4-4-2 system, Carrasco has already played on both sides of midfield. Indeed, his main role when starting is to begin on one flank—typically the right—and then soon swap over to the opposite side.

From either flank, but particularly left, he is able to cut infield with the ball at his feet and make use of the space in front of the opposition defence. He could also play centrally on the occasions Simeone opts to switch to a 4-2-3-1, as he did at times last season. This term, the alternative has been 4-3-3, meaning there is no need for a No. 10 link player.

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While Carrasco might not have made the starting lineup right at the beginning of the season, several of Atleti's big signings down the years have needed a little time to adjust to their roles and demands—just like Antoine Griezmann last season. Carrasco has shown in recent weeks, though, that he understands what the manager wants; his willingness to press and challenge in midfield is key, before his own technical traits take over once Atleti have possession.

Pace, acceleration, dribbling

And here's why Carrasco has quickly become integral to Atletico: His technical and physical traits are extremely different to that offered by his team-mates.

Koke, Gabi and Tiago are relentless in their work rate, can all pass the ball well and can do both defensive and offensive jobs. Oliver Torres is skilful, can find and use space extremely well and can play incisive passes into the front line...but it is Carrasco who has the lightning burst of acceleration which can open up teams.

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When Atleti win possession in midfield in particular, Carrasco's ability to surge forward makes him the obvious go-to option for the team to switch play to and look to support quickly, while his one-on-one talents means he can pull defences open by running at or around his marker.

On the counter-attack, Carrasco's pace is even more important: Atletico tend to sit extremely deep and defend for long stretches this season when they feel it prudent, especially when defending a lead in the second half. Along with Griezmann, Carrasco is really the only other outlet who can help the team break out from this structure and carry the ball a large distance very quickly.

His goal against Real Sociedad was perhaps the greatest indication of this trait so far.

Goal threat

Quite simply, this is something Atletico don't yet have enough of.

Four forwards and two real attackers from the second line—Carrasco and Angel Correa—haven't yet yielded goalscoring with the regularity that Atleti need, with the team still coming to terms with such a large number of new faces, perhaps.

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Carrasco hasn't yet played 500 minutes of action this season, compared to the guaranteed starters—Tiago, Diego Godin, Griezmann, etc.—who have already exceeded 1,200 minutes. Even so, only two players have managed more than Carrasco's two goals for the campaign: three for Jackson Martinez and seven for top-scorer Griezmann.

It's not just putting the ball in the net either, but also creating: Carrasco's movement and dribbling opens spaces for others, and if he doesn't shoot at the end of his runs, he's capable of picking a clever pass at the end. His assist for Belgium during the international break—and he already has one for Atleti, too—against Italy attests to that.

Ferreira Carrasco justifying why he has 'baller' written on his Instagram profile. pic.twitter.com/CaPPu8JBqc — David Cartlidge (@davidjaca) November 13, 2015

Goals from the second line of attack, directly scored or created, are vital for Atleti's success this season, and having someone who can break the lines as Carrasco can is paramount. The team needs balance, work rate and huge mental strength to cope with Simeone's demands, but in terms of a match-winner, Carrasco's unique traits within the squad will make him one of the keys this season.

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