Betis wants to test the wardrobe of the mattresses
MADRID, 19 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Atlético de Madrid will visit Real Betis this Sunday (9:30 p.m.) in a match corresponding to day 2 of LaLiga EA Sports, with the aim of the rojiblancos to prolong their fervent start to the course, while the verdiblancos will put their background to the test of his rival’s wardrobe.
The team coached by Diego Pablo Simeone has accumulated several injuries, which will condition its starting eleven at the Benito Villamarín Stadium. From the goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who is between cotton wool, to the point of attack, the Argentine coach deals with doubts in a squad that continues without reinforcing the position of defensive midfielder.
The gap left by Geoffrey Kondogbia, after going to Olympique de Marseille, has not yet been filled. And although that at first wasn’t a headache for ‘Cholo’ Simeone, since the Central African fell into ostracism last season, it turns out that Koke Resurrección’s injury and Pablo Barrios’ inconvenience have set off the alarm.
The rest of the players who could occupy this demarcation, such as the Argentine Rodrigo de Paul or the Belgian Axel Witsel, have not had a far from brilliant preseason. However, the club’s board of directors seems focused on other matters ahead of the last weeks of the summer transfer market.
Without specifying anything for the midfield, Miguel Ángel Gil Marín and company have advanced negotiations to hire Samu Omorodion, a young striker for Granada CF. His arrival would close the door on Samu Lino, probably also on Rodrigo Riquelme and above all it would push João Félix, more if possible, towards the launching ramp.
The departure of the Portuguese, unofficially separated from the ‘Cholo’ plans, is the key to the vault for Atlético to shake up his wallet at the end of this month. While that happens or not, Simeone has to form a group of guarantees so that against Betis he shows the effective version again, the one that he had a hard time seeing in the friendlies prior to the start of the league.
On August 14, in the match that closed matchday 1, Atlético showed their fangs to beat Granada (3-1) and become the leader. An anecdotal leadership, of course, but among the mattress parish it was felt as a certain relief after a preseason where only the victory over Manchester City had revealed virtues.
His next obstacle will be Betis, already on the back of Isco Alarcón. Signed with a star band, seasoned with a desire for personal redemption, the playmaker from Arroyo de la Miel was the most outstanding man on his team on the first day of the championship. As if that were not enough, the béticos were filled with energy by beating Villarreal CF.
A goal from Willian José in discount put the final 1-2 at the Estadio de la Cerámica, embittering the ‘Yellow Submarine’ and endorsing yet another project by Manuel Pellegrini. The Chilean coach and the Verdiblanca fans still exhibit good harmony, which will be key to the objective of settling in the noble zone of the First Division.
DATASHEET.
–POSSIBLE ALIGNMENTS:
BETIS: Silver; Sabaly, Pezzella, Louis Philip, Abner; Rodriguez, Rock; Rodri, Isco, Washed; and Churches.
ATHLETIC MADRID: Oblak; Azpilicueta, Savic, Witsel, Hermoso; Llorente, Barrios, DePaul, Lemar; Griezmann and Morata.
–REFEREE: De Burgos Bengoetxea (C.Vasco).
–STADIUM: Benito Villamarin.