Diego Pablo Simeone addressed the media this morning from Majadahonda before hosting Getafe at the Metropolitano tomorrow. The "colchoneros" face a new round of the Copa del Rey after cutting points from Real Madrid in LaLiga and with the desire to reach the semifinals again. Last season, they reached the same round, falling to Athletic Club after losing both matches without scoring any goals.
The good news is that Rodrigo de Paul, who served a suspension last Saturday against Real Mallorca, will return, aiming for a starting position. Obviously, one of the topics discussed during the press conference was that visit to Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday, a key matchday. In case of victory, the "rojiblanco" team would surpass their neighbor and rival in the standings and could once again rise as the sole leader of the tournament.
Simeone's doubts
Obviously, since it's a single-match elimination, everything points to the Argentine coach fielding his best eleven. Both Josema Giménez and Antoine Griezmann rested in the victory against Real Mallorca, aiming for a starting position tomorrow. The Frenchman, in fact, was the author of the decisive goal in injury time, coming on in place of Julián Alvarez, who started as a starter.
Another who could also start is Robin Le Normand, who won't be on the squad list to visit Real Madrid due to a suspension. One of the uncertainties will be at left-back, as Reinildo and César Azpilicueta have been battling in recent weeks for that position. The same situation occurs between Samuel Lino and Conor Gallagher, as the Brazilian has taken a significant step forward in recent weeks.
Simeone talks about refereeing
"Historically, referees have been in the spotlight, it's a place where we all have opinions, but it's very difficult to be in their position, making decisions so quickly," he said about the controversies. "Today they have VAR, which can help make everything much better, I absolutely believe in that," the "colchonero" coach stated. All this because the focus is starting to be on the next league commitment, as it will be of utmost importance.
Meanwhile, José Bordalás was very candid after drawing with Sevilla at home on Saturday and stated that they have few chances to advance to the next round. In the last encounter between the two clubs, the "colchonero" team emerged victorious thanks to the solitary goal scored by Alexander Sorloth. It will be a much more challenging commitment than many expect, as the duels against the "azulón" team have always required giving their all.