Simeone, the goal between the eyebrows

Atlético has dried up. The rojiblanco team had recovered its best version of face to goal in the first round, generating a lot of offensive play and, with Suárez as a reference, piercing the goals of rivals without compassion. Atlético finished its first private round, the first 19 league games where the asymmetric calendar caused it to have played twice against Valencia and Cádiz and none against Levante and Athletic, with 50 points in his locker and 40 goals in favor, more than two per game.

Now, getting a goal has practically become a chimera. In the last five games, Atlético have only scored two goalsFigures that make any title fight impossible. Against Betis, Carrasco scored five minutes into the game, but, despite enjoying several occasions, the rojiblanco team could not score a second goal and Tello's tie prevented him from adding three. Saúl had been able to put the 0-2 minutes before the Verdiblanco goal and Correa had the winning goal in his boots at the last moment, but Claudio Bravo always won.

After finishing the match against Betis, where Real Madrid once again cut points from the colchoneros, Simeone was clear. When asked what the team needed more, legs due to their physical condition or mental strength due to the last punctures, Cholo had no doubts: “Goal.” The Argentine coach knows that he is getting stuck and that everything conditions these difficulties in front of the door. “Scoring is what ends up generating mental strength and giving you legs. I have not seen a team that is winning and is diluted, it generates energy and enthusiasm, “said the Argentine coach.

Atlético has only achieved five of the last twelve League points at stake. And in two of the four games it has been zero. Against Getafe he concentrated the occasions in the last minutes, with Dembélé enjoying two great options to debut as a rojiblanco scorer and Suárez running into the stick, but the result did not move. A few days later the team traveled to London to try to overcome the tie against Chelsea, but the superiority of the English was manifest and the 2-0 left Atleti eliminated and with another match unmarked. After defeating Alavés with a lone goal by Suárez and Oblak, getting bigger, stopping a penalty in the 86th minuteAfter the break, the dynamics have not changed. Defeat against Sevilla 1-0 without being able to convert the few occasions of the second half and 1-1 against Betis despite having opened the scoring very early.

Llorente returns

In the Benito Villamarín party, Simeone could not count on Luis Suárez or Marcos Llorente, his two top scorers in the League and that they concentrate 28 of the 52 goals of the team in the competition. In addition, he lost João Félix, the team's third scorer with seven goals in the league, just starting the second half. Therefore, Atlético left in search of victory without the three authors of 67% of the team's goals in the championship.

Suárez, who was sanctioned, He has suffered a muscle injury that will prevent him from participating against Eibar. And João Félix will not be in the meeting on Sunday either for a sprained ankle. But Cholo does recover a Llorente eager to be decisive again and who has already completed the card cycle. Dembélé is also back and Lemar rushes his options to be able to play and strengthen an attack that needs to recover its splendor.