Atlético is stuck at the most inopportune moment. The team has stayed without scoring in five of the last six games, an alarming drought to which Cholo cannot find a solution. Athletic, Granada, Mallorca and City (twice) left the rojiblancos to zero, and some did not even cost them too much. Only Espanyol received two goals from Carrasco. In other words, in the last month none of the strikers in the squad have seen a goal. They are five –Suarez, Griezmann, Correa, Cunha and Joao Felix— and they went out at the same time.
The most excusable case is that of the Portuguese. On the 7th he was injured against Espanyol, which has left him out of the last two games (and those that remain) and he was also a substitute against Mallorca. In this batch of six games has played only 235 minutes, 43%. Rather, there is enough john dependency at Atletico. Just before this set of poor results, the Portuguese dispatched a streak of six goals and two assists in six games. That is why he was the best First Division player in March for Olocip and that is why he is missed so much and Simeone is still wondering how to cover his absence.
At the other extreme, and with a profile similar to that of João Félix, is Griezmann. Carries only three goals in the league, and the last one was in November, in Cádiz. In the Cup he scored on January 6, his last celebration. It is true that in the middle of it he suffered a muscle injury that made him miss eight games, but There are now 15 goalless games between all competitions, with Atleti and with France. It is the most worrying case and Simeone doesn’t lose faith in him: “He is one of the best in the world, he will return to goal and give him confidence”. In San Mamés he sent a free kick to the crossbar and made his only shot on goal in a month.
Luis Suárez scored two goals against Alavés (April 2, the last game before the drought), although by then he had lost his title status in the team. He recovered it in Bilbao, but hardly any balls came to him and he went unnoticed. Even so he is the team’s top scorer (13). Everything indicates that he is facing his last four games with the rojiblanca and wants to say goodbye with what he knows how to do best, although he may not have as many minutes as he would like. The 9 points to substitute in the derby.
The second top scorer is Correa (12), although since he was injured against Betis (March 6) and lost his place in the eleven he has not been the same. In his case, he has not scored since the visit to Osasuna (February 19) and They are already 11 games dry. In the last two months he has alternated the eleven with the bench, in addition to a red card in Vallecas that has left him out of two games. In his last seven appearances he has only had one shot on goalthe one that Ederson repelled him and that would have taken Atleti-City to extra time.
And the fifth element is Matheus Cunhawho made many merits to have more opportunities, especially until he became a knee sprain against Levante (five goals and two assists in 642′ until then). The injury caused him to miss seven games and since his return he has not scored either. The Brazilian is an agitator and his entry reactivated the team against Alavés and Espanyol, but he lacks a goal to round off his improvement. Simeone, however, thinks of him to be the red and white spearhead in the derby.