Soccer returns to San Mamés 105 after the last one, that March 1 that today seems so far away. The door to a new dimension will open today at 14:00 for Athletic and Atlético (follow the match live on As.com). Post-stop football coronavirus. Without an audience, so naked, five changes, so many months stopped, at home, then one by one, in groups of ten, without friction, with tests, all looking for this: that the door of San Mamés opened for both of them in June, that LaLiga started to be able to finish.
Along the way Athletic has lost Aduriz, the body said enough, and his will be the only loss. Garitano has them all. Let's see how. Because his Athletic is a very physical Athletic and today's game will serve to measure the legs after three months without competition. The load of parties and rivals (Valencia or Madrid) in the marathon to come may condition the objective. It is called Europe. Closed the option of the Cup by delaying next year, to play it with the public, the only way is LaLiga. The defeat of Valencia pushes, it gets three points. Garitano's doubt is to play with three centrals or 4-4-2. The former can wear down the physique of its players more than Cholo.
Cholo's ambition
A Cholo who traveled to San Mamés 95 days after Anfield with a clear idea: Llorente Costa's couple in the lead in another reunion with Raúl García. With that one he already did it, this one was uncovered as scorer and scorer against Liverpool. Morata, even without a physique, will wait on a bench with more weight in this return. A bank without João (sanction), Vitolo or Felipe, touched. The place of the last one in eleven is occupied by a Commander, Giménez, with Savic, waiting for the injuries that weigh so heavily on him at last leave him alone.
Simeone has prepared this league return like those qualifying rounds in Europe in which he is almost invincible. Eleven games, eleven finals, one goal: Champions. Qualify for the next one, there is no other, the stability of a team that today will also begin to say goodbye to Mono Burgos match by match depends on it. The results of Getafe and Valencia favor him; the one of Seville, no. A year ago after the round of 16 it was in San Mamés where Atleti got out of LaLiga. This, before the coronavirus, was a date after Anfield, all push. Three months later Garitano remembers Atleti after Turin and Atlético only in that Cholo said yesterday. Put on your clothes … And play. How much have you missed.