Athletics activate Champions mode and he is already thinking about Prague because on Tuesday at 6:45 p.m. he faces a key match against Sparta, a rival who started the season well, but who has not won since October 30 and has fallen to fourth place in his League. Simeoneaware of the scale of the issues, will make headlines to get out of Epet Arena with the three points under the arm.
Sparta entered the Champions League group stage after knocking out Swede Malmoe and started in style with a 3-0 win over Salzburg and a surprising draw in Germany against Stuttgart. However, little by little he began to weaken and Guardiola’s City gritted his teeth five times at the Ettihad. After their last defeat at home against the surprising Brest, they fell to twenty-sixth position, with two points less than Atlético.
Back from Prague with the three points, Simeone’s men leave fast track to classification because that would add nine with three days remaining. In fact, the team would even be able to fight for one of the first eight places, although for this it is obliged to win practically everything (Slovan Bratislava, Bayer Leverkusen and Salzburg will be left later). We are undoubtedly facing a decisive day.
He Cholo He will not spare resources and will turn to his praetorians to move the game forward. Giménez, De Paul, Gallagher, Giuliano and of course Julien Alvarez They will be there again and we expect a lot from them. A possible eleven could be that formed by Oblak, Giuliano, Azpilicueta, Giménez, Lenglet, Lino, Barrios, De Paul, Gallagher, Julián Álvarez And Griezmannalthough there are many possible combinations and it cannot be ruled out that, as happened in the first half against Alavés, the team returns to the 4-4-2, which would leave Azpilicueta out of the eleven for leave room for Marcos Llorente on the right side.
With five victories to his credit, after the one won yesterday at the last minute against Alavés, Atlético faces its best moment of the season. However, the line that separates success from failure is very fragile and Simeone is fully aware of the decisive importance of securing all three points in Prague. It will then be time to think about Valladolid, the next rival that the rojiblancos will face this week, which will also experience its next stage of the Copa del Rey because the draw will take place this next Wednesday.
