The best Atlético of the season threatens Barcelona. Atlético have a pending account with the Barça team in LaLiga and if there is one time that they feel capable of winning Barça, this is it. Simeone seems to have found the key to achieve that regularity that tired him and that prevented him from fighting for the championship. Atlético is another since the competition began and has a determination and a faith that was lacking during many phases of the season. Against Valladolid and Alavés he did not play well, but he won. There are several keys to this resurgence of the Madrid team.
Without losing. So, Atlético has achieved four consecutive wins in LaLiga for the first time this Bell. Simeone always commented that the challenge was to win several matches in a row. The rojiblanco team links twelve consecutive official games without losing, eight wins and four draws. The last defeat was against Real Madrid, on February 1. Now comes the game against the other team that aspires to the title.
Without fitting. Atlético has fitted two goals in these five games played after the break. And one was a penalty. The team remains the same as ever in the defensive gear. Alavés locked himself in his area and barely created chances in front of Oblak. The keeper has responded when he was shot. After the break, the figure of Giménez has re-emerged, who was deprived of his injuries due to injuries. Savic will be out against Barcelona, but Felipe returns, the best of Atlético until then.
With speed. Atlético was a team without spark in the first half against Alavés. Simeone brought into the field Diego Costa, Marcos Llorente and Carrasco and printed a speed and a rhythm that I didn't have before. Three changes of a stroke to win a game that was getting complicated. Players who could be starters in any other team. And Cholo had on the bench quality players from Lemar and Vitolo, of another cut, but also capable of changing a game.
Marcos Llorente. The man from Madrid is unstoppable. His physical strength made him win all the defensive duels with the Alavés players. Both goals were thanks to him. Morata is not well, he is not at his usual level and Cholo tried Marcos Llorente as a forward. And it has more than responded. It even begins to intimidate rival defenders. Until it came out, the Alavés defense had a very placid night. Atlético lacked speed and the defenders did not have much trouble neutralizing the Atletico team's attempts. Anfield's party changed Llorente's life.
The meetings. It has already become a habit. Atlético train on the eve of a game at the Wanda Metropolitano and there is a talk with Gil Marín, Simeone and the players as the stars. Atlético's CEO tried before the break and also after make the footballers see what was at stake. The stability of the club depended on what the team did in the eleven games that remained to be played. At a crucial moment, Gil Marín took command.
The group. The five changes have come in handy for Simeone, who is using virtually all of his footballers. One day João Félix is the starter and the next Llorente leaves. Diego Costa is starting, but Morata did it against Alavés. Trippier and Arias share minutes. Manu Sánchez also supplies Lodi … Cholo is rotating and everyone feels part of the victories. It is one of the keys to this Atlético being another.
The lesions. Atlético is playing games every three days and has hardly had an injurys. Quite the contrary than during the season, where the Madrid team has played a leading role due to the high number of injured. Felipe has missed several games and is now among cottons Hermoso. Atlético wins, wins come and fewer injuries appear. They all play, they distribute minutes and there are fewer injuries. And if Simeone can count on the whole group, he has a lot of cattle.