It was the 71st minute of the match against Levante and Atlético crashed time and again against the local defensive wall. Until, Simeone used his last offensive resource in the Ciutat de Valencia in search of the goal that could give Atlético three points. A Matheus Cunha that had become an amulet for the Cholo, since with him on the field they had arrived six rojiblancos goals and eight points had been earned in just 113 minutes.
And with his entry he returned to fulfill his part of the deal, this time as the main actor. The Brazilian received a ball in the area after an extraordinary maneuver by Rodrigo de Paul, beating all the defenders through the driving of the ball and leaving a great pass that a defender touched before reaching Cunha. The ’19’ controlled and defined perfectly under Aitor’s legs and it left the feeling that Atlético had done the most difficult thing, getting ahead again in the absence of only 15 minutes.
His first goal in the rojiblanco club and a new proof that the 22-year-old wants to be important despite the enormous competition in attack. If throughout his stage in European football he had stood out as a second-line player, thanks to his dribbling, driving and arrival, Simeone chose him as the forward who could replace Suárez as a reference above, position that has exploited so well in the lower categories of its selection and in which lifted the gold medal of the last Olympic Games with a goal in the final against Spain included.
Finally, the VAR called the referee for a hand from Lodi that inexplicably in current football was sanctioned as a penalty and Atlético once again lost points in a stadium that always makes life difficult for them. But, among the best feelings, was the contribution of a Cunha who only needed a shot on goal to make his debut as athletic. El Cholo bet again on the trident above, formed by João Félix, Griezmann and Suárez, and Correa remains the first alternative above. However, the Brazilian wants to take advantage of every minute that his coach gives him to gain more continuity in the team.
His arrival in summer took place before the Griezmann option was reopened, so a more leading role was predicted from the beginning. What’s more, has suffered a muscle injury prior to the break that left him out of the game against Barcelona and prevented him from attending the summons of his team. But Tite fully trusts Cunha, summoning him for the next break ahead of players like Vinicius, and Cholo is also aware of the potential of the young forward. Against Levante he took a step forward and once again showed that he is ready to contribute to this team.