Felipe Monteiro has lived a few last hours of maximum happiness. Atletico central he entered against Rayo in the 90th minute along with Hermoso to put even more reinforced cement to the mattress rearguard and certify a narrow victory in Vallecas as had happened last Tuesday against Manchester United, where the Brazilian was again the resource in the discount to repel the rival’s air shipments.
a role that also carried out against Cádiz when he had to substitute in the 80th minute for a limping Giménez and that has become a regular role when Savic, the Uruguayan and Reinildo are fit for Simeone place your line of three central more reliable. With these last three appearances, Felipe reached 100 official games against Rayo with the Atlético shirtsomething that gives it the right to have its space in the Paseo de Leyendas del Wanda Metropolitano.
The Brazilian joins Llorente, Lodi and Joao Felixthe four incorporated in the summer of 2019, as the last members of the men’s team to have a plaque outside the stadium (in the women’s this season they have been Laia Aleixandri, Carmen Menayo, Ludmila and Lola Gallardo). Hermoso is seven appearances away from achieving it. Felipe played 36 games in his first year as a rojiblanco (two goals), with a performance from less to more until becoming one of the most reliable center-backs in the championship on his arrival from Porto. An improvement with the passing of the games that has been repeated year after year, since he is a player who finds it difficult to get into shape.
Last season they were 38 games under his belt, although very far from that great performance of the first year, and so far in the campaign adds 26 appearances (two goals) where 18 have been from eleven and eight coming off the bench. The 32-year-old center-back ends his contract in June and the negotiations for its renewal remain on standby. Felipe celebrated his centenary as an athlete on social networks before receiving the summons with the Brazilian team.
An injury to the Arsenal center-back Gabriel Magalhaes returns to the national team for the first time since the Copa Américawhere he suffered a knee injury that took him out of the tournament in the group stage and prevented him from making the preseason with Atlético. Felipe will be one of the many mattress players who travel with his team in a break that comes when the team has had its best run of results and has resumed defensive security on Oblak’s goal.