Athletic and Atlético measure their enthusiasm in a 'Champions' duel

Athletic and Atlético measure their enthusiasm in a 'Champions' duel

The third and fourth classified face their good dynamics in the league competition

MADRID, 14 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Atlético de Madrid returns this Saturday at San Mamés (9:00 p.m./Movistar LaLiga) to LaLiga Santander, where it aspires to win its third consecutive victory after a week in which its future in the Champions League has been complicated, all in a duel ' Champions' against an Athletic Club that hopes to maintain its good run to settle in third place.

The new setback against Bruges at the Cívitas Metropolitano (0-0), despite more than 20 shots on goal -nine between the three sticks-, has left Diego Pablo Simeone's team touched in Europe, where they are out of the places of access to the round of 16. However, the team still depends on itself in the two remaining days.

Before facing the two vital matches against Porto and Bayer Leverkusen, they will have to confirm their good form in the domestic competition. There he has accumulated two wins in a row in recent days: he convincingly beat Sevilla at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán (0-2) and suffered much more at home to beat Girona (2-1) last Sunday, and now he treasures 16 points, only one less than his rival this Saturday.

A duel between third and fourth that, taking into account the Clásico between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona on Sunday, could bring the winner closer to the lead and derail the loser, who could even see himself out of the top four positions if Real Betis ( 16) and Real Sociedad (16) do their homework.

Now, those from 'Cholo' seek to remain undefeated away from home this season -three wins and a draw in their four away matches so far- in a stadium where they haven't won since September 2017, when a goal from Argentine Ángel Correa and another from Belgian Yannick Carrasco offered him the three points (1-2); since then, they have accumulated three defeats and a draw in Bilbao.

As for the locker room, the disagreement between Simeone and Joao Félix, who against Bruges once again showed his frustration after not playing and chaining his fourth consecutive substitution, is still on. The Portuguese, who came to form as a starter in seven of the team's first eight games, will have to wait to see if the Argentine coach decides to give him a chance against the Basques in a matter that 'Cholo' explained about "performance".

Without the injured Marcos Llorente, Felipe Monteiro and Sergio Reguilón, the mattress team will bet on their usual defense -Nahuel Molina, Stefan Savic, José María Giménez and Reinildo- ahead of Jan Oblak, while Koke and Axel Witsel, who rested against the Belgians, could take charge of midfield.

Correa and Griezmann could extend their good form without having to rotate, while the big question is how to complete the attack, since Carrasco and Morata are rested, but Saúl and Matheus Cunha, or even Lemar and De Paul, could also appear in the starting lineup.

Correa and Frenchman Antoine Griezmann, the undisputed starter after confirming his definitive transfer to Atleti, will repeat in an eleven to which Álvaro Morata and Carrasco could return, who came out in the second half in the 'Champions' duel.

For its part, Athletic (17), encouraged by its good numbers at home in recent years against the people of Madrid, is looking for another victory to endorse its good start to the season, in which it is the second least scored team (5) and has risen to third position in the table, five points off the lead.

Last week's draw at the Sánchez-Pizjuán (1-1) interrupted a streak of consecutive victories against Elche (1-4), Rayo (3-2) and Almería (4-0), all in a course in which that Ernesto Valverde's men have only yielded once, at home against RCD Espanyol (0-1).

With the return of the recovered Óscar de Marcos to the left side, the 'Txingurri' will only have the absence of Ander Herrera, who saw a direct red card in the discount of the duel against Sevilla, so he will be able to line up his usual eleven, with the Williams brothers as the main offensive reference.

ATHLETIC CLUB: Unai Simon; De Marks, Yeray, Inigo Martinez, Lake; Dani Garcia, Sancet, Muniain; Nico Williams, Berenguer and Iñaki Williams.

MADRID ATHLETIC: Oblak; Molina, Savic, Gimenez, Reinildo; Witsel, Coke, Belt, Carrasco; Morata and Griezmann.

--REFEREE: Figueroa Vazquez (C.Andaluz).

--STADIUM: San Mamés.

--TIME: 9:00 p.m./Movistar LaLiga.