Atlético de Madrid returns to training tomorrow at Cerro del Espino to continue their good momentum in LaLiga and put more pressure on Real Madrid. After the draw at Santiago Bernabéu, both clubs are only one point apart, opening up the title race. Obviously, the controversy is still in the air after what happened last Saturday, especially after the new Real Madrid TV video about Tchouaméni's penalty.
As expected, they haven't analyzed the rest of the plays in which both Dani Ceballos and Jude Bellingham should have been sent off in the first half. The only real thing is that Julián Alvarez would be responsible for opening the scoring, being the first penalty in favor of Atlético de Madrid since 2010. The Argentine, moreover, seems to have not left a surprising protagonist very happy after deciding to take it Panenka style.
The Warning to Julián Alvarez
The world champion is the top scorer for the red-and-white team with 17 goals, being close to surpassing his best records at Manchester City. At this rate, it seems impossible that he won't surpass the 21 goals scored by Luis Suárez in the 2020/21 season and Álvaro Morata in the last campaign, his best individually. His goal against Real Madrid allowed the colchoneros to take the lead, although Kylian Mbappé equalized the match at the beginning of the second half.
However, it seems that Julián Alvarez's Panenka shot didn't please Dibu Martínez, who left him a surprising message on Instagram. "You do that to me and I'll run after you," warned the starting goalkeeper of Aston Villa, who has proven to be a specialist in penalty shootouts. That goal was Atlético de Madrid's first penalty at Santiago Bernabéu in the last 15 years, since Diego Forlán had the last one at his feet.
The Decisive Moment of the Season
Now, the red-and-white team will have a less crowded schedule where they can focus on LaLiga before facing the most critical moment. In exactly one month, both the Copa del Rey semifinals and the Champions League round of 16 will coincide, being two very exciting tournaments. Therefore, Simeone wants to have all his players at 100%, giving them three days off after the match they played last Saturday against their eternal rival.
The philosophy remains one match at a time, with the colchoneros' next opponent being Celta de Vigo, who arrives at the Metropolitano after an epic comeback against Real Betis. They were already a very tough opponent in the first leg, in which Julián Alvarez himself was the author of the winning goal in stoppage time. The intention is to keep pressuring Real Madrid, who must face a tough tie against Manchester City to try to advance to the next round of the Champions League.