Tuesday, October 22, 2024, 17:42
| Updated 6:00 p.m.
After being beaten against Benfica in perhaps the most humiliating European duel for Atlético de la Simeone, the Colchonero team faces a crucial clash this Wednesday at the Metropolitano against a Lille that generates concern after having defeated none other than Real Madrid in the second day of the Champions League.
Although in the regularity tournament they have not yet seen defeat after 10 rounds, the red and white team is not walking with a firm step this season. It seems that the Argentine coach continues the search process, even with more shadows than lights. In the top continental competition, they led the way with an agonizing victory against Leipzig, leader of the Bundesliga along with Bayern, but perhaps they showed the hangover from the derby in their defeat in Da Luz, where they conceded four goals and Oblak was the best.
Atlético appeals to the Metropolitan fortress, which will already have the presence of the 5,000 fans who could not attend the recent match against Leganés due to the partial closure of the lower southern stand due to the incidents against Real Madrid with the throwing objects at Thibaut Courtois.
Some altercations that are still ongoing. If on Monday the Belgian goalkeeper avoided controversy and limited himself to saying in the preview of the clash against Dortmund, he has a different concept of what it means to provoke than Cholo, the Argentine also responded to him in the Champions League preview with irony. “We may not agree and have different opinions, but I am grateful for what he did here and everything he gave us, we won the League, we played in the Champions League final and it was very important in that process.”
It has been almost three years since the colchoneros have lost in a continental competition in their stadium, specifically since November 2021 against Milan (0-1), but despite those eleven consecutive unbeaten matches, there is no confidence against a rival without the name of other big ones, but dangerous and very physical. They appear in Madrid full of energy after beating the current champion, but they will have to improve their defensive performance if they want to achieve another feat, that of being the first French club to attack the Metropolitano. They are fourth in the French Ligue 1, six points behind the leaders PSG and Monaco, and they are tied with the Madrid team in the Champions League because on the opening day they lost 2-0 in Lisbon against Sporting.
The fight, for which Simeone doubts whether to bet on the trident formed by Griezmann, Julián Álvarez and Alexander Sorloth, who saw the light with his double against the pepineros, is low in defenses. Cholo suffers the absence of five players, the center backs Le Normand, Lenglet and Azpilicueta, the winger Marcos Llorente and the midfielder Pablo Barrios. In front, Bruno Genesio, Lille coach, observes a complete infirmary, especially also in the rear. He has former Barcelona player Samuel Umtiti in dry dock, not even registered, and he is restless with Mitchel Bakker, Ismaly, Tiago Santos, Bentaleb, Ethan Mbappé, brother of the Real Madrid star, and Haraldsson.
Probable lineups
Atlético: Oblak, Molina, Witsel, Giménez, Reinildo, Lino, De Paul, Koke, Gallagher, Griezmann and Julián Álvarez.
Lille: Chevalier, Meunier, Diakité, Alexsandro, Gudmundsson, Bouaddi, André, Zhegrova, Gomes, Sahraoui and Jonathan David.
Arbitrator. Marco Guida (Italy).
Time: 9:00 p.m. Metropolitan Stadium.
TV: Movistar Champions League.
