by “He was a great teammate. He has charisma and mentality, but his team also plays football well: they attack and defend a lot.” The phrase could have been said by either of the two coaches who face each other at the Giuseppe Meazza. This time it was Simone Inzaghi who left the praise for Diego Pablo Simeone and his Atlético de Madrid, determined to make the most of their visit to Inter Milan in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16. Styles, profiles and similar systems, the colchoneros will see in the ‘nerazzurro’ box a mirror in which to look at themselves.
Of course, the reflection projected from Italy is at a better level than those from Madrid. They are undisputed leaders in Serie A, seeking the Piacenza coach’s first Scudetto. The youngest of the Inzaghi, former teammate of Cholo during his years at Lazio, knows that his work is being rewarded. They are the current runners-up of the continental competition, although He doesn’t look like Inter’s Simeone: “It’s difficult, I understood it at Lazio and now here. In 20 days opinions change rapidly. “Now there are the last three months and they will be decisive for our destiny.”
Inzaghi, at a press conference /EFE
The present of the rojiblancos has more turbulence. They took a breather by beating Las Palmas 5-0 at the weekend, but they were coming off of unfortunate days. In the same week they were eliminated from the Copa del Rey 0-1 against Athletic and lost on their visit to the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán in Seville, also by the minimum. The league classification places them behind their three direct competitors (Madrid, Girona and Barça), and in the Champions League the definitive balm they need may arrive to confirm the good feelings, boosted by the great first phase that they signed as first in group E.. The Italians were second in D against the leadership of Real Sociedad.
LLORENTE, OFFENSIVE REFERENCE
Simeone will try with his best weapons. And with a novelty that is no longer such. Marcos Llorente acted as a forward against the Canaries, scoring a double for the little hand in the Metropolitano. Multifunctional by nature, the right lane and midfield had until now been its usual homes. As Griezmann’s teammate he found a new role that Cholo plans to exploit, leaving out Memphis and the recovered Álvaro Morata. The rest, once it comes almost from memory, except for the left side. It will be a head-on clash of contrasts between the verticality of Samu Lino and the iron security of Reinildo Mandava.
Summary, goals and highlights of Atlético de Madrid 5 – 0 Las Palmas on matchday 25 of LaLiga EA Sports
Up front he will wait with a disposition almost identical to Inter. Like Griezmann in the Madrid team, Lautaro Martínez is the great scoring reference to whom they entrust themselves when the chestnuts burn. At his side, an almost equal to the infallible Marcus Thuram will also threaten Jan Oblak’s lock. The Slovenian, like Yann Sommer, was one of the least defeated in the first phase, conceding only six goals compared to the Swiss’s five. Although the solidity of it could be affected with the loss of Francesco Acerbi, who will leave his place in the starting eleven to Stefan de Vrij. The Dutchman will be placed alongside the Frenchman Benjamin Pavard and the sought-after Alessandro Bastoni.
BACKGROUND WITH RED AND WHITE TONE
Despite the extensive history of both teams, there is only one official history of European competition. It was in the grand final of the 2010 European Super Cup in Monacowhen Rafa Benítez’s Inter recognized the witness of what was done by José Mourinho and landed in France as champion of the Champions League.
José Antonio Reyes (RIP), scorer that night in Monaco against Inter /EFE
In front, the Atlético led by Quique Sánchez Flores, Europa League champion against Fulham, and with enviable forcefulness. Kun Agüero and the missing José Antonio Reyes struck down the Italian resistance with two lethal blows. They will look for that same forcefulness in the opening 90′ of the tie this Tuesday in Italy.
PROBABLE ALIENATIONS:
Bury: Summer; Pavard, De Vrij, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Lautaro and Thuram.
Atlético de Madrid: Oblak; Molina, Witsel or Savic, Giménez, Hermoso, Reinildo; De Paul, Koke, Saúl; Griezmann and Llorente.
Referee: Istvan Kovacs (Romania).
Stadium: Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro).
hour: 21.00.
