Diego Pablo Simeone addressed the media today in Majadahonda ahead of tomorrow's clash against Athletic Club. The "colchoneros" don't want to lose sight of Real Madrid and Barça and will face a challenging match against another strong contender for LaLiga. The "rojiblanco" team will definitely be without Koke and César Azpilicueta, the latter having already done individual exercises on the field.
At the microphones, the Argentine coach spoke about the opponent and had words of praise for Ángel Correa, who continues to climb the ranks in the club's history. The Rosario native has nearly 90 goals for Atlético de Madrid and 60 assists, numbers within reach of very few players worldwide. For this reason, he didn't hesitate to praise the player's positive aspects and to highlight what he has achieved in these 10 years.
Simeone Showers Ángel Correa with Praise
Surely, the forward is one of the best substitutes in the world, something he has always demonstrated with his contribution when coming off the bench. He was decisive again against Barça at Montjuïc, providing an assist to Marcos Llorente and giving the team a new dynamic in the offensive area. He is on track to become one of the five footballers with the most official matches played in the history of the "colchonero" team.
"He confirmed that quality is more important than quality, he has shown his heart with Atlético, people love him a lot, he is very important to us," began Cholo. "It's difficult to live with the situation of not starting, but it's what the coach decides in this case, and he accepts it in the best way," he continued explaining. "The affection people have for him is the return of the effort he makes for the team," he concluded when talking about Ángel Correa.
A Day of Title Contenders
Although it may not seem like it, Athletic Club's visit to the Metropolitano could mean that one of the contenders for the trophy drifts too far from the top of the standings. Right now, the Basque team is fourth and hasn't lost hope of staying in the race until the final days of the championship. Simeone has already asked the fans to show a great atmosphere again tomorrow to help his players achieve a valuable victory.
It seems there will be some rotations in Atlético de Madrid, with Robin Le Normand returning to defense and Alexander Sorloth having many options. The Norwegian saved the team again with a goal in stoppage time against FC Barcelona, earning a starting spot tomorrow. It's important to note that next Tuesday, the first leg of the Champions League will be played against Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabéu.