He Athletic of Madrid has never played against Leipzig, his rival in the quarterfinals of the Champions League in Lisbon, but the Mexican international has Hector Herrera, scorer and winner 3-1 with Porto against the German bloc in the group stage of the tournament in 2017-18.
At the Do Dragao stadium, in the 13th minute of the match, corresponding to the fourth day of group G of that edition of the maximum continental competition, a corner kick was headed first by ‘El Zorro’ towards the center of the area, it did not arrive Felipe Monteiro, Then a teammate at Porto and today also a teammate at Atlético, and the rebound fell back to him, who finished off the 1-0 with the right that opened his team's victory against Leipzig.
Then tied Timo Werner for the German bloc, but once again Porto responded, through Danilo and Maxi Pereira (3-1). And with Hector Herrera as captain and leader in midfield. A day earlier, Leipzig had been the winner 3-2. Then, he also participated as an assistant in one of the goals of Porto, in the 3-2 of Ivan Marcano. But that day he suffered with the offense of his rival, as also happened to the central Felipe Monteiro.
There was no doubt in Porto then of the undisputed ownership of the Mexican central midfielder, which is not in Atlético, although it does point to it this Thursday: it is the irruption of the starting lineup of Diego Simeone at the José Alvalade stadium with respect to the technician's first tests at the end of last July, once Thomas Partey It is serious doubt due to injury.
The Ghanaian midfielder already trained with the group on Tuesday, after three and a half weeks off due to a muscle injury, but his contest as a starter seems unlikely this Thursday.
With Koke Resurrection on the right wing, Herrera would play in the middle next to Saúl Ñíguez. The left side would be for Yannick Carrasco. It is the insistent test of the last days of the Argentine coach, who will give, except surprise, a new route to Héctor Herrera.
A NEW OCCASION FOR 'EL ZORRO'
It is a new opportunity for him, who has alternated sections of ownership and substitution throughout this season, the first of his under the orders of Diego Simeone. His best streak in the eleven have been the six games he linked between December 22, 2019 and January 23, 2020, including the final of the Spanish Super Cup against Real Madrid in Saudi Arabia. The worst were the four games without minutes with which he began his career in the Spanish League and Atlético de Madrid.
Scorer seven times in his 42 games in the Champions League, 32 as a starter, Herrera has never made it past the quarterfinals of the tournament. In none of the preceding six seasons with the Port, with which he debuted in this competition on September 18, 2013 against Austria, Vienna and with which he made his start on October 22 of that year in a game that lasted six minutes against Zenit, because he was sent off for a very fast double yellow.
Then they did not pass the group stage, as they did not in 2015-16. In 2016-17 and 2017-18 they reached the round of 16 and in 2014-15, with the crushing defeat against Bayern Munich 6-1 in Germany (their team had won 3-1 in the first leg), and in 2018-19, eliminated by Liverpool, he reached the quarterfinals; the barrier of Herrera so far in the Champions League. In Lisbon he wants more. He knows the way to beat Leipzig.