Atlético’s illusion is examined at the Etihad
The best mattress version seeks to come out alive from its first duel with City in the duel between the champions of Spain and England
MADRID, 4 Apr. (SportsFinding) –
Atlético de Madrid visits Manchester City this Tuesday (9:00 p.m.) in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, a duel between the champions of LaLiga Santander and the Premier that will examine the illusion of the rojiblanco team, which seems to have doubts forgotten and that he arrives with the mission of leaving the Etihad alive against one of the favorites for the title, who hopes to exhibit his best and most overwhelming version to put the tie on track in his favor.
Diego Pablo Simeone’s team is now enjoying calm waters, after a storm that hit the entire club. In the midst of injuries and rumors about the Argentine’s future on the mattress bench, the team has been able to overcome and rediscover aspects that it dominated in the past and allowed it to establish itself as champion of LaLiga Santander last season.
And one of those aspects that have improved considerably has been the defensive. The Madrid team has only conceded three goals in the last six games, recovering one of the pending issues of Cholo’s this campaign. Thus, Atlético is now experiencing its best moment of the season, with confidence through the roof and most of the players ‘plugged in’ and offering great performance.
This is the case of Joao Félix, who scored a brace in the last league match against Alavés (4-1) and has converted five goals in the last four games of the domestic championship. In addition, the Portuguese striker has found in Antoine Griezmann his great ally, and both -17 goals between the two- are largely to blame for the good mattress moment.
The rojiblancos return to Manchester just three weeks after eliminating United at Old Trafford (0-1) thanks to Renan Lodi’s goal, which broke the Metropolitano’s draw (1-1). That was Atlético’s third victory in this edition of the Champions League, all of them away, a streak that he hopes to capture at the Etihad.
For this match, unprecedented in Europe, Simeone seems to continue opting for the defense with three central defenders that has been giving him such good results in the last month, with six consecutive wins in the League, although he will have to deal with the important loss of José María Giménez . The Brazilian Felipe or moving the Croatian Sime Vrsaljko are the two options that the Argentine manages to accompany Reinildo and Savic.
Llorente and Lodi, due to Carrasco’s suspension, would be the lanes, while in the center of the field there will also be another important absence such as that of Héctor Herrera, so everything indicates that Geoffrey Kondogbia’s muscle will enter alongside the captain Koke, rested after not playing on Saturday, and a more toned Rodrigo de Paul. Above, Joao Félix and Griezmann to do damage to a rival who has significant losses in defense.
MANCHESTER CITY, WITHOUT HIS ‘SCUDERO’ RÚBEN DIAS
The ‘citizens’ want to show that they are much more than the eternal favorite to win a title for which they are pointed out as a clear candidate and that they continue to resist. Runners-up last year against Chelsea, City do not want to slow down and will seek to continue with the great inertia that they have maintained since the start of the season.
Although they continue to be immersed in their relentless fight for the Premier League with Liverpool, whom they lead by one point, Pep Guardiola’s team arrives at this first chapter full of confidence, since they have not lost any of their last seven league games of Champions at the Etihad, where they have won 11 of their last meetings.
The Catalan coach, who in the previous one insisted that they must be “prepared to adapt” and try to obtain “the best result for the second leg”, will have Rúben Dias, a fundamental pillar of the defence, out due to injury, and once again that of Kyle Walker, who has a penalty match remaining. Stones would be the replacement for the Portuguese and Aymeric Laporte’s partner, with Cancelo and Zinchenko as wingers.
For his part, in midfield, a ‘special’ match for Rodri Hernández, who will face his former team, who will strive to neutralize the engine room of the English champion that works perfectly with Bernardo Silva and a stellar De Bruyne , while Mahrez, Foden and Sterling will be in charge of testing the current firmness of the mattress defense.
DATASHEET.
–POSSIBLE ALIGNMENTS.
MANCHESTER CITY: Ederson; João Cancelo, Laporte, Stones, Zinchenko; Bernardo Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne; Mahrez, Foden and Sterling.
ATLETICO DE MADRID: Oblak; Savic, Felipe, Reinildo; Llorente, Kondogbia, Koke, DePaul, Lodi; Griezmann and Joao Felix.
–ARBITRO: Istvan Kovacs (RUM).
–ESTADIO: Etihad Stadium.
–TIME: 21.00/Movistar Champions League.