Atlético parks the Champions League and focuses again on the league championship. The Madrid team plays this Sunday (9:00 pm) against Villarreal and Simeone did tests for this new game. The good news for Simeone is that he begins to be able to count on almost all his players. Against Villarreal there will be no Trippier, who finishes serving his sanction that day, but cannot play that day, and neither will the injured Giménez and Carrasco. But the coach will be able to form an eleven of guarantees and a bench also with quality players.
El Cholo tested an eleven in the training session and several of the important players were not in it. Thus, neither João Félix nor Saúl formed in it. Vrsaljko and Lodi would be the two great novelties of the LaLiga leader to face Villarreal. The Atlético coach rehearsed with this team: Oblak; Vrsaljko, Savic, Felipe, Hermoso, Lodi; Llorente, Koke, Lemar; Correa and Luis Suárez. It remains to be seen if he finally opts for this eleven or if the Argentine coach tries something else in the work session tomorrow Saturday.
João Félix started the last two Atlético games, against Levante, at Wanda Metropolitano, and against Chelsea. After passing the coronavirus, he has not been especially decisive in the games he has played. It is true that Simeone's tactical approach in the Champions League match is not the one that best suits a player with the characteristics of the Portuguese. After an exceptional start to the season, he has played several games in which his role has not been primary and Luis Suárez and Correa have carried the weight of the team in offensive tasks, accompanied by Marcos Llorente who has performed at a high level.
João Félix has not scored for more than a month. He scored a goal on January 24 in the match against Valencia. Against Levante, in the game played at home, he was very active, but failed a lot in the face of goal. Simeone needs them all in this decisive stretch of the season and João Félix is one of the players with the highest quality in the squad. Getting him back to his level is one of Simeone's great goals. But the Portuguese must take a step forward, either when he starts or when he does it from the bench.
In the domestic championship he has played 20 games, with six goals and five assists. And a total of 1,183 minutes. In the Champions League he has played seven games and scored three goals. He played 618 minutes. In Copa del Rey he played 74 minutes in the match against Cornellà. In total, 28 games, with nine goals and five assists.
El Cholo will have a bench of guarantees against Villarreal. To play with the ones he tried in the Friday session, Kondogbia, Torreira, Saúl, João Félix, Dembélé, Vitolo would be on the bench. Players with enough quality to vary the course of the game.