Luis Suárez is one of the aces to follow of this Atlético-Chelsea. First of all, obviously, because it's the top scorer of the rojiblancos, the best trick in attack. But secondly, because he has a pending account with the competition. The 16 goals in the league that they have top scorer contrast with that in Champions it has not yet been released of rojiblanco. And there is one of the keys.
The statements from both sides indicate him as a decisive footballer for the tie. Simeone reiterated the importance that Suárez has in the team, because in addition to scoring “gives hierarchy and trust” yours and, furthermore, focuses “the attention of the rival”. Opposite, from Chelsea they analyze the need to stop the rojiblanco gunner. “He is a born forward, he has that mentality that only great forwards have. Has will, intensity and rage. We know about his capabilities, so what we will do is try to stop him, “Tuchel explained at the press conference, in which he also confirmed that there was interest from PSG in signing him. Azpilicueta, one of the defenders who will have the mission of watching him, was more concrete: “You have to get him away from our goal.”
Because Suárez is synonymous with a goal and the whole continent knows it. The charrúa has already celebrated 30 goals in the Champions League, five with Ajax and 25 with Barça (Last year he stayed at five), and seeks the first as an athletic one. So far he has played 312 minutes in four games, because he missed the visits to the Metropolitan of Bayern and Lokomotiv because of the coronavirus. In addition, it arrives in Bucharest with a strange drought, as it has three games without scoring.
An intermittent drought
He has also traveled to Romania with a peculiar pending cloud. Atlético and Suárez are local to Chelsea, but the game is away from home and, away from home (Metropolitano now, Camp Nou before), he has only scored one goal in the Champions League in the last five years: it was in the fateful 2-8 against Bayern in Lisbon, neutral ground. In other words, to strictly break his away streak, he will have to score in London.
And on the other hand, Luis Suárez's goals in the second round could have a economic component, provided that they helped Atlético to qualify. If the Cholo team advance, there will be more income for the club, obviously. But in the other sense, one of the variables included in the Suárez contract is that if the rojiblancos get into the quarters, they have to pay Barça two million more. Viewing the performance of the 9, in the Metropolitan they would be considered very well paid.