Atlético does not want another 'witch night'

Atlético does not want another 'witch night'

Simeone's men need to beat the Belgian team to stay alive in the search for the knockout stages of the Champions League

MADRID, 11 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Atlético de Madrid receives this Wednesday at the Cívitas Metropolitano (6:45 p.m.) Bruges, leader of Group B of the Champions League and who already managed to surprise him last week in Belgium, with no margin of error if you do not want to see how it gets complicated greatly his pass to the round of 16 of the maximum continental competition.

The rojiblanco team, a priori the favorite when the group was formed, is currently bottom with three points, although with the same as Bayern Leverkusen and Porto; after having already conceded two defeats against the Belgian champions (2-0) and at the BayArena (2-0) and with the agonizing victory against the 'Dragons' as their only joy (2-1).

The Catalan Ferran Jutglà and the Ghanaian Kamal Sowah unhinged the mattress defense and hurt a team that seemed to have raised its head with its solid victory at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, but that does not quite hit the key to be regular and offer good sensations.

Now, the reaction is mandatory to remove the shadow of elimination in the group stage, something that has not happened since the 2017-18 season. In LaLiga Santander, Diego Pablo Simeone's men sweated to defend their victory against Girona (2-1), second in a row in the domestic championship, and they cling to that resistance to face one of the sensations of the current 'Champions', still unbeaten and full of victories.

With his definitive transfer to Atlético, Antoine Griezmann, who missed a penalty last week, would form without conditions or limitations in an attacking line that Álvaro Morata would complete and without the presence once again probably of the Portuguese Joao Félix. The Argentine Ángel Correa, author of a brace against the Catalan team last Saturday, could see his great game rewarded with a new title alongside Saúl Ñíguez.

Together with the man from Elche, Koke and Axel Witsel, with Geoffrey Kondogbia in doubt for the Belgian, will coordinate the midfield, while the goal, defended by the Slovenian Jan Oblak, and the defense, made up of Stefan Savic and José María Giménez as central couple and Nahuel Molina and Reinildo on the wings, remain unchanged. Marcos Llorente, Sergio Reguilón and Felipe Monteiro, injured, will be the only casualties for Simeone.

Opposite, Atlético de Madrid will run into the surprising leader Brugge, who made history on matchday three against the rojiblancos by becoming the first Belgian team to win their first three games in the 'Champions' group stage.

Led by Carl Hoefkens, who is entering his first year as head coach, the team has won nine of its last ten games in all competitions and has yet to fit into the continental tournament, where Simon Mignolet was a real nightmare for those of the 'Cholo'.

Now, in Madrid, where he has never managed to win -three defeats against Atlético and a draw against Real Madrid in four games-, he will look for another victory that will give him the ticket for the round of 16, the first of the 'Champions' in 30 years for the club, which could even be first in the group if Porto and Bayer Leverkusen draw in Germany.

Jutglà, Sowah, the two headaches for the 'Cholo' men a week ago, and the Canadian Tajon Buchanan will return to the lead after resting in the last league duel, in which the Hoefkens men fell to Westerlo (0-2 ).

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

BRUJAS: Mignolet; Odoi, Mechele, Sylla, Meijer; Nielsen, Onyedika, Vanaken; Buchanan, Jutgla y Sowah.

--ÁRBITRO: Danny Makkelie (HOL).

--STADIUM: Cívitas Metropolitano.

--TIME: 18.45/Movistar Champions League.