In the league championship of the
Atlético de Madrid
there were some unexpected protagonists. Players who exploded when someone had even pointed out a few months before as possible team exits. Some cases that rewarded the Cholo for his patience with those footballers.
The most prominent cases were those of Marcos Llorente placeholder image that exploded as a scorer in 2020. Hermoso became vital for Simeone could carry out your system change. Lemar it became indispensable in the medullary after having been about to leave in summer. Without forgetting that Carrasco was one of the most decisive players after going a few years before on tiptoe to China. Now, in the club they hope that other players will take a step forward.
One of the most anticipated cases is undoubtedly Joao Felix. The Portuguese forward shone in the first leg of the season, but after getting injured he ended up being a substitute. Fed up with his ankle problems, he decided to have surgery. This season in which he will turn 22 years old, he is expected to explode definitively.
It remains to be seen if he finally continues in the club. Not at the moment
Atlético de Madrid
Nor does the player receive an offer so interesting as to stop defending the shield of the bear and the strawberry tree. For this reason, if he stays, he wants to regain his best level and return to being one of the midfielders who carried the weight of the team.
Another who has to regain his level is Renan lodi. After a very good first season for the Brazilian full-back, last season he had no place in the starting eleven. At the moment in the America Cup is shining and now Simeone He hopes that he will do it this season dressed in rojiblanco.
In the case of Hector Herrera The irregularity may have also weighed quite a bit in the two years he has been in the
Atlético de Madrid
. Lesions, positive by Covid or even family problems have prevented him from having more continuity. And that has come to make a hole in the starting eleven. He will return after shining this summer as captain of Mexico. To the point that in the last friendly against Nigeria made two goals.
Another player from whom much is expected is Kondogobia, the Frenchman arrived last season as a last-minute replacement for Thomas Partey. The adaptation and the good moment of the team prevented him from having more minutes. Now, he is already working under the orders of the Cholo to be able to contribute to the team what he expects.
All this in a campaign in which it is expected that players who had been important as Koke, Oblak, Luis Suárez or Marcos Llorente placeholder image return to the level that allowed the
Atlético de Madrid
be champion last season.