EI Atlético added a fundamental triumph with comeback included against Athletic to move Barcelona to six points and Real Madrid to eight with, finally, equal conditions in terms of matches played. The rojiblanco team saw how in February the advantage over their pursuers fell after linking several bad results, with Levante as the great black point of the course.
A weaker period, marked by the concentration of casualties between coronavirus, injuries and the FIFA sanction to Trippier. But Simeone has been recovering pieces, the team has been rediscovering its ideal system and its main players and only that goal by Benzema in the 89th minute prevented a full point against three very difficult rivals, Villarreal (0-2), Real Madrid (1-1) and Athletic (2-1). Against Marcelino el Cholo's team, he had the only absences of Giménez due to injury and Héctor Herrera after the death of his mother.
But the two players They are back and ready to play against Getafe (Saturday, 9:00 p.m.). A meeting where Simeone he will not be able to count on Felipe due to accumulation of warnings, but he will have his entire squad healthy for the first time this season. Something that seemed like a chimera and that has been one of the great burdens of Atlético in this great championship that it is carrying out.
The rojiblanco team has been the most punished by the coronavirus in LaLiga. After having the absences in the quarterfinals of the last Champions of Correa and Vrsaljko due to illness, Diego Costa and Santiago Arias arrived infected at the start of the preseason and they couldn't start at the pace of their peers. Giménez did not participate in the league start after chaining a positive for coronavirus with a muscle injury (he did not play until the sixth league commitment). His compatriots Luis Suárez and Torreira returned infected by the virus from the expedition with the Uruguayan team just before meeting Barcelona. Grbic for his part tested positive after having debuted in the Cup against the Cardassar.
But the worst was yet to come. In February, six positive cases were linked to COVID-19, those of Carrasco, Hermoso, João Félix, Dembélé, Lemar and Héctor Herrera. In addition to the illness, which took all of them out of the team for more than ten days, injuries have also occurred. Giménez has missed 16 games this season due to physical problems. Vrsaljko began the course with problems in his operated knee that prevented from being available in the first 15 games it's from the season. Herrera between some things and others has been lost 18 commitments.
We must add discomfort, muscle injuries, blows and gastrointestinal problems that have affected various players such as Carrasco, João Félix, Vitolo, Lodi, Diego Costa and company. On the opposite side of the scale is Correa, the only player on the squad who has participated in the 35 games of the course. Felipe has entered 29, but has been summoned in all, and Getafe will be his first absence. Oblak (33), Llorente (33), Koke (32), Savic (31) and João Félix (31) They are, together with Correa, the footballers who have already played in more than 30 games.