Trial by Fire for the Leader

The League at stake. It is still a cliché, but it is reality. Atlético has a litmus test against Sevilla. It is one of those games that can mark the final stretch of the championship (follow the meeting live on As.com). If the leader wins, he will have taken a giant step forward and if he loses, his current situation will truly be compromised. This Sevilla-Atlético marks the future of the League. And each of the teams has reason for optimism. Simeone's because he knows how to play these types of matches. The first round serves as an example. Atlético won 2-0. He went ahead early and left the ball to Sevilla. Oblak did not suffer a scratch from the rival attempts. In the final stretch came the goal that sentenced the crash. At Atlético, the one from before and the one from Cholo, other types of rivals are more choked.

The rojiblancos They don't have Carrasco, they don't have Dembélé either, and João Félix has been between cottons all week, so the technician did not dare yesterday to dispel the doubt. But they have players to beat anyone, starting with the goalkeeper, for many the best in the world, and ending in the forward, a Luis Suárez who scored again on the previous day. His goal against Alavés was worth three points for the Madrid team. AND there are Trippier, Marcos Llorente, Koke, Lemar … Atlético needs Saul, another who knows how to compete in the big events. Strength as a group will be decisive for a team that was not fine in the Champions League, but that feels very much alive in the League.

Sevilla imposes. Simeone will have looked at his numbers at home and is sure to tell his boys that he doesn't eat anyone either. Has played 14 home games and has lost three: Eibar, Real Madrid and Barcelona. The other two candidates for the title have already won there. Lopetegui's team, having said that, has one of the best squads in the championship. The Andalusian team caresses the goal of finishing in the top four and facing Atlético is always a challenge and an incentive.

Bono vs Oblak, one of the great duels

If Oblak is number one for many, Bono is not far behind. Formed at Atlético, he is one of the sensations of LaLiga. But Lopetegui has Navas, Koundé, Acuña, Rakitic, Suso, Ocampos, In Nesyri … We'll see if the latter or De Jong plays. Yesterday Squire fell, positive for coronavirus. Sevilla has quality and quantity to prevail in any match. That role as an aspirant is no longer valid for his coach. Nobody demands that Sevilla win the title, but every time they have more squad to fight for great challenges.

The Seville team knows that Atlético has sent signs of fatigue in the last days and he also knows that the rojiblancos do not have the reliability of the start of the championship. The match is played after the national team break, which is also an additional unknown. The rest was good for Sevilla in order to finish the job in the remaining games. La Liga is played at the Sánchez-Pizjuán.