One of the key figures at Atlético de Madrid in 2025 is Samuel Lino, who is once again showing the great form he had last season. The Brazilian started the season with some issues, especially when Simeone decided to change his formation, eliminating the wing-backs. Additionally, Conor Gallagher had quickly adapted to the red-and-white team and began to stand out on the left wing, the usual position of the former Gil Vicente player.
Although he had matches where he was far from the expectations, the reality is that he has been decisive in goal creation for a month now and against tough opponents. It is non-negotiable for the colchonero team to have their entire squad available at any moment, regardless of the minutes. They are managing to save many matches at the last minute, and this is something that Cholo wants to maintain to continue competing for all the titles.
Samuel Lino Recovers His Form
Surely, the young Brazilian was one of the footballers with the highest expectations for this season after being named the best player of the last season. He participated in more than 20 goals in his first year at Atlético de Madrid, which led to the belief that he could improve even more in his second season. However, the red-and-white team started with some doubts in their setup, and the change of formation was detrimental to some players.
Even so, Samuel Lino has not given up, and his start to 2025 is very close to what was seen on the field last season. His February is being very positive, participating in goals and being able to bench Conor Gallagher. The Brazilian contributes more in the offensive aspect, something that Simeonehas always highlighted and that has been beneficial against very demanding opponents.
Healthy Competition at the Metropolitano
Obviously, both players are compatible, as the English international has also played other roles on the field, showing his versatility. He can occupy both the right wing and move more centrally, something that Marcos Llorente also does regularly, providing alternatives for Simeone. Additionally, having such high competition allows the team to keep functioning no matter who plays, with substitutes who can change games.
This has been one of the main keys this year, as there are players with a secondary role who are capable of deciding matches in favor of the colchonero team. Alexander Sorloth and Ángel Correa are two specialists in this aspect, with the Norwegian achieving the equalizer against Barça in the last match played. Precisely, his goal was assisted by a Samuel Lino who had come on in the second half to take the position initially assigned to Conor Gallagher.