Simeone gathers the entire arsenal

With nine you live better, Atlético was suspicious when he was left without Suárez (coronavirus) and without Costa (thrombosis) and has now confirmed that he has both. And none are even in their best shape, but Simeone senses and trusts that the passage of the games will be good for his two battering rams, that before Elche they took a weight off their shoulders. There are no droughts. There are two forwards to boost and Cholo knows the way.

On the one hand, it is Luis Suárez, a scorer who responds with figures if the team supplies him with balls where it does the most damage. “We hope to find the footballer that the team needs, decisive, with hierarchy and, in the area where he moves, the best there is,” Simeone wanted in the preview of the last game. And Suárez replied with two goals, making good two low centers of Trippier and Carrasco, one from each band. “I was especially happy about the second goal, hoping not to go offside and for Carrasco to find him,” the coach explained.

Simeone understands that Suárez was penalized for having linked three games as a starter (Valladolid, Salzburg and Real Madrid) after three weeks stopped due to the coronavirus, without playing or training more than in his isolated home. The Uruguayan is one of those who picks up the tone more slowly and playing. For this reason, Cholo is convinced that he will improve. Meanwhile, the '9' already accumulates seven goals in the league, fully involved in the fight for the top scorer despite the fact that he has only played nine games.

Plus Diego Costa has returned, that 20 days ago gave the great scare and this Saturday he returned to the team, practically without training. And he also left with a goal. The forward joked afterwards that his presence had spurred Suárez: “I was not there and he was not scoring; I go back and score two goals … “. Coincidence or not, the sure thing is that his return will serve so that Simeone can rotate between his two rams. For example, the plan of the beginning of the course: one, holder and the other replaces him between 60 ’and 65’. The idea of ​​joining them in attack that he tried in Balaídos seems unlikely —except in specific moments— with João Félix, Llorente, Correa and Lemar available.

João Félix-Correa, plan B

So, of the commitment to João Félix and Correa en punta, with the Argentine doing more than '9', Simeone happens to have Luis Suárez, your desired ‘9’, once again with the fine point of view, and Diego Costa, in whom he continues to trust for what he gives him beyond the goals. He is a respected player in the locker room, who infects a winning character. As long as you get in shape Suarez starts with an advantage, but the Hispanic-Brazilian promises “competition” and refers to the 2014 League title, of which he was one of the stars: “If we want to conquer something great, it has to be like this, one came out, another came in and was up to par, there was a great team ”.

Simeone already has his entire arsenal available for what is coming. The injuries have left him without Giménez and Herrera (plus Grbic's positive), but in attack he has all the pieces ready and the internal struggle is fierce, what the coach likes the most. The rams mark, belt He is the king of assists (eight this season already), Trippier and Carrasco they add up from the bands, Llorente continues to be decisive and Lemar it has grown to the point that it is running for eleven of the big parties. Even Saponjic takes good words from the technician.

AND the leader is João Félix, who has lowered his scoring rhythm (five league games without seeing a goal), but in each match he leaves details of his quality. The variants are many and the rule of the five changes gives a lot of play to be able to handle them. Internal competition and forcefulness They are fundamental in the Cholo dictionary, so the appointment before Elche had to leave him very satisfied.