Few could imagine the relevance that Thomas Lemar was going to gain at Atlético. The Frenchman, who started the 2020-21 season after having been on the market without receiving firm offers, he was gaining his space and growing homeless in the new tactical system of Simeone, participating more and more with the ball and being more decisive in the final meters thanks to his vision of the game, technical quality and ability to break lines through driving, as well as a very important tactical work.
Full of confidence, this course its brilliant start was not far behind, adding to his great football evolution a greater determination in the final meters, something that Simeone asked of him. The assistance to Correa to open the Atlético account this season in Balaídos and the goal that broke the tie against Espanyol in the 98th minute gave a good account of it … before being injured for the first time. Some muscular problems suffered in the first half of the match against Porto that left Simeone without his fittest player, a Lemar who had been a starter in all the games except in Cornellà, where he entered the break to turn the scoreboard with a brutal impact on the game.
He overcame his injury and He returned with a few minutes in Milan also key to turn around a fundamental result for the Champions League options. He had the last 26 minutes at San Siro and began the play of the tying goal and caused the final penalty that placed the 1-2 on the scoreboard and it was the only rojiblanco triumph so far in the top European competition. And against Barcelona, Lemar was exhibited with a great game crowned with the goal to open the scoring and the assistance to Suárez in the second, getting along wonderfully with João Félix and Carrasco.
But after 80 good minutes against Liverpool despite a 2-3 loss with ten players for practically the entire second half and play the first half against Real Sociedad, His great enemy reappeared, some physical problems that took him out of the game and have kept him out until this break. And Atlético has greatly regretted his absence. Without Lemar, the mattress team drew on their visit to Levante, were defeated at Anfield and saw Valencia cut their lead from 1-3 to 3-3 in injury time.
In this break Simeone recovers the French, who already exercises with the group and the coach will take care of him and manage him aware of how important it has always been that he has been healthy, but also of the inconvenience of the muscle injuries that last season left him without playing the last three days with LaLiga on fire. The balance speaks for itself: In the seven games without Lemar, Atlético have only won two, tied three and fell in another two. The Frenchman, who turned 26 this week, He has participated in nine games with five wins, three draws, but in two of them he had to be injured in the first half and a single loss against Liverpool in the Metropolitan Wanda in a rojiblanca superiority until the expulsion of Griezmann. Lemar is back and Cholo will receive him like May water to get out of the pothole, the Frenchman has become an essential coach.