Atlético de Madrid has a single mission this Tuesday, to achieve, yes or yes, a victory against Bruges that allows them to be in the round of 16 of the Champions League in the second year of its new format. In the first leg, the rojiblancos finished 3-3 after having a great first half and a final to forget.
Simeone’s men have spent a season with irregularity as the basis of each of its parties. Beyond the positive or negative streaks of results, what is hindering the ‘colchonero’ team the most this season is that it is capable of the best and the worst during the same 90 minutes, as it already showed a week ago at the Jan Breydel.
So, the first challenge seemed like it was going to fall on the side of the Madrid team, who went into the break with a clear 0-2 lead and everything was on track to leave the return trip to the Metropolitano a mere formality. But the ‘bipolarity’ that affects the team is such that in just 10 bad minutes in the initial moments of the second half, it ruined all efforts. Finally, the Belgian club made it 3-3 in injury time and left everything open for the duel in Madrid.
The roller coaster that Atlético de Madrid has become this year makes the return unpredictable, although it comes loaded with positive energy after the comeback and league win against Espanyol (4-2), in a home competition where the honor of third place is being disputed with Villarreal and not falling into fifth place in favor of Betis.
For their part, Bruges also arrive with sky-high morale after their 2-1 league victory against Leuven, which leaves them three points behind the leader, Union Saint-Gilloise, the other Belgian Champions team that was eliminated in the regular phase.
Problems with warnings
One of the big problems that Cholo Simeone will face against Bruges is that the result of the first leg (3-3) does not allow him to leave anything in the bedroom for the possible round of 16 tie, which would be against Liverpool or Tottenham.
The downside is that up to five players available for the match could miss the round of 16 match if they receive a yellow card in the second leg against the Belgians. Of the five, three are central: Marc Pubill, Le Normand and Lenglet. The other two who could serve a match suspension of going to the second round are Giuliano Simeone and Thiago Almada.
Furthermore, the Argentine coach will also not be able to count on the momentous clash with Pablo Barrios and Nico González, since both continue with the recovery process from their respective injuries and exercised in the run-up to the Champions League match apart from the rest of their teammates.
Likewise, experienced midfielder Hans Vanaken is on alert for Bruges, while Raphael Onyedika does not travel to Madrid having received his third yellow card last week.
Although the first thing comes first, and it would only be a problem if Atlético managed to eliminate Bruges. The red and white options are, a priori, greater than those of the Belgians, but that is only on paper, as was already reflected in the first leg.
Simeone will look for his get ahead on the scoreboard as soon as possible and not having to go against the flow or have the minutes go by and anxiety take over the players.
Last weekend left good news for the Argentine coach in the top zone, the great performance of Sortloth, the architect of two of the four goals against the ‘parakeets’ and his winter star signing, Ademola Lookman, who continues to be sweet with the goal since he landed in Madrid.
Atlético will put itself before the mirror of its fans to try to stay alive in one of the two competitions, Champions and Cup, where it still has things to say. Last season, the first with the current format, They didn’t have to go through the repechagealthough it was of little use to them, since they were eliminated in the round of 16 by their eternal rival, Real Madrid.
