Atlético visit their demons

Atlético visits their private dentist. A Ciutat de Valencia that is year after year a headache for Simeone and his boys. The two league titles with the coach on the bench staggered after visiting the Levante fiefdom, quite a giant killer that this course already He has stolen points from Real Madrid with a crazy 3-3 and who wants to do the same in the rojiblanca visit.

Last year, Atlético dominated the League with an iron fist, but the problems with the coronavirus joined a week of maximum difficulty with a double confrontation in three days against the granota team. And the rojiblanco team missed five points despite the fact that they did everything to win. The advantage on the board was reduced and the Cholo’s kryptonite feel was amplified.

Also midweek, Atlético visited Levante to recover the second day of the championship, postponed in the teams that finished later the previous year. And Bardhi, after a multiple error in defense, made it clear at 17 minutes that it was going to be another tough afternoon for Atlético. Llorente got the tie before the break with a distant shot that Rober Pier deflected, but the comeback could not be rounded off, and that Correa had a golden opportunity inches from the goal and with Aitor defeated, but he finished from above. And three days later the result was even worse, since Levante became the only team of the season capable of winning at Wanda Metropolitano with a stellar Dani Cádenas, saving the constant rojiblancas occasions and after going ahead with an unlikely carom after a shot by Morales that bounced off Felipe and Hermoso before sneaking into the net.

With Atlético overturned, and two saves by the visiting goalkeeper to a foul by Suárez who later touched the stick and Lemar, In the last play of the match Oblak went up to try to finish off the last corner and De Frutos ended up scoring against. Two bad results to prepare for the game against Chelsea that delved into the rojiblancas nightmares against the Granota team, which he had already been an executioner on matchday 36 of the 2013-14 season, with LaLiga red hot. On that occasion Keylor Navas was the great protagonist and Atlético they lost 2-0 to complicate a title that ended up arriving at the Camp Nou on the last day. Also on matchday 36 of the 2015-16 academic year, when the options to fight for a League still alive escaped after losing 2-1 at the Levantine stadium.

Added to the first visit of Atleti de Simeone to Levante (2-0), they are a total of four rojiblancas defeats in the 17 games played so far. And in the City of Valencia, the balance is two unique victories, four draws and three defeats. The last victory dates back to June 26, 2020, when Bruno’s own goal brought Atlético closer to the goal of the Champions places. Paco López is no longer in front, but Simeone knows that visiting Levante is always one of the tough tests of the championship and he wants to maintain the good level of visitor that contrasts with the last punctures at home.