Simeone already has a clear plan for the assault on San Mamés. The coach has rehearsed this Thursday with the idea of the last days and seems to have decided on the eleven, since the doubts that were sensed at the beginning of the week no longer appear in training. Cholo will bet on Griezmann and Suárez at the top and the other novelty will be the substitution of Koke.
In previous sessions, the coach also tested Cunha, worked with Felipe and Hermoso and moved pieces, but the starting team for Bilbao, except for movements in training this Friday, aims to be: Oblak; Llorente, Giménez, Hermoso, Reinildo, Lodi; Herrera, Kondogbia; Griezmann, Suarez and Carrasco. A 5-2-3 that will become 5-4-1, with Griezmann thrown to the right, to defend Marcelino’s team.
During the week Simeone has worked on two aspects with special emphasis: the lack of goal and the defense of the lateral centers, a virtue of Athletic. The coach has worked enthusiastically on goal arrivals, because Atlético has stayed without scoring in four of the last five games and on top of that now he has lost João Félix.
It’s Koke it’s De Paul
Neither will Lemar and Cholo seems to return gallons to Héctor Herrera and Kondogbia, two of the most prominent in recent months and the same duo that shone against Manchester United at the Wanda Metropolitano. Captain Koke and DePaulstarters against Granada, will wait on the bench.