The Atleti, to the heroic in Anfield

Atlético have the right players for the Champions League match against Liverpool. The rojiblanco team will visit Anfield and Simeone has serious problems for this match, as casualties accumulate, between injuries and penalties. And they are important players within the Argentine coach’s game scheme. Atlético will have to go almost heroically to Liverpool’s fiefdom, something that should not be too complex for the Madrid team, since many times it has stuck its head out just when it was worst.

Simeone cannot count on Savic or Griezmann for this match. The defender had four games of suspension last season and is already serving the last one. Savic may be available for the games against Milan and Porto, the last two of the group stage. Griezmann was sent off in the match against Liverpool played at the Wanda Metropolitano. The Frenchman looks more and more like the one from his first spell at Atlético and it will be a considerable loss.

But, in addition, Cholo has three injured players. Marcos Llorente, Lemar and Kondogbia. The Madrilenian forced himself to play precisely against Liverpool in the Wanda Metropolitano clash and again suffered muscle problems after the match. Total, technical and medical staff decided that he would not play again until after the next league break. He has lost the meetings against Real Sociedad, Levante, Betis and will not play against Liverpool and Valencia. Lemar won’t be at Anfield either. And Kondogbia did not train with the group on Monday, so it seems difficult that he can get to the game with just one training session.

In this way, Simeone only has 16 players available for the match. The theoretical eleven holder could be composed of: Oblak; Trippier, Felipe, Giménez, Hermoso, Carrasco; Correa, De Paul, Koke, João Félix; and Luis Suárez. The bench would be made up of Lecomte, Vrsaljko, Lodi, Herrera and Cunha. The rojiblanco coach will have to summon some of the young people who have registered in the Champions League. Atlético faces a difficult match and knows that if it manages to get a point, it will have taken a giant step towards qualifying.