Atlético, for the plenary session away from home with Griezmann as a shock

Atlético, for the plenary session away from home with Griezmann as a shock

Simeone's men visit Real Sociedad, who have yet to win at the Reale Arena

MADRID, 2 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Atlético de Madrid visits Real Sociedad this Saturday (6:30 p.m./Movistar LaLiga) with the aim of maintaining its undefeated away record amid the controversy over the substitution of Antoine Griezmann, who will return to the Reale Arena to try to squeeze his new revulsive condition.

"I am a club man, and I always will be," said Diego Pablo Simeone at a press conference in reference to the distribution of minutes by the French striker, who scored the winning goal against Valencia last day at Mestalla (0-1) and that he is only three goals away from becoming the third top scorer in red and white history if he beats Francisco Campos (146).

The French striker has been a substitute in the three league games played so far, and the reason is clear: if he plays at least 45 minutes in 50% of the games this season, the mattress club would be obliged to execute the purchase of the player for 40 million euros to FC Barcelona at the end of this season.

Thus, Griezmann had to settle for coming on in the 63rd minute of the victories against Valencia, where he scored two minutes after replacing Geoffrey Kondogbia, and against Getafe (0-3) and the defeat at home against Villarreal ( 0-2). In his new role and against his former team, he will seek to endorse Atleti's good numbers away from home.

And it is that, although he suffered to take the three points in the capital of the Turia -where he forgot the stumble of the previous day against the Castellón-, the group of 'Cholo' Simeone has full of triumphs outside his fiefdom, with four goals to favor and none against, some numbers that place him three points behind the leader Real Madrid.

In Donosti, the Argentine coach will introduce a single novelty with respect to the eleven that started against the 'che' team, with the return of the Belgian Yannick Carrasco to the left lane to the detriment of Saúl Ñíguez, while Sergio Reguilón, another of the candidates for the position, is recovering from an operation for pubalgia.

Nor will Nahuel Molina, who is serving his second game of suspension after being sent off against Villarreal, nor the injured Thomas Lemar and Stefan Savic be available. All in a duel after which they will have to prepare for their first match of the 'Champions' 2022-23 against Porto.

Opposite, Real Sociedad holds on to its good numbers at home against Atlético; The San Sebastian team is the second rival, after Barça, that has managed to beat the mattress team the most times (5) when they have played away from home in the 'Simeone era'.

However, this season they still haven't managed to win at the Reale Arena, where they fell in their only match against Xavi Hernández's men (1-4). In their two games away from the Basque Country, both in their league debut against Cádiz (0-1) and last day against Elche (0-1), Imanol Alguacil's men managed to prevail.

Now, the 'txuri urdin', faced with the loss of Mikel Oyarzabal and Carlos Fernández, entrust themselves to their two new strikers, the Nigerian Sadiq Umar and the Norwegian Alexander Sorloth, to try to forget Alexander Isak who headed for the Premier .

The African is doubtful after completing only one training session -although he was included in the squad-, while the Scandinavian could rest ahead of the team's debut next Thursday in the Europa League against Manchester United at Old Trafford. In addition, Sheriff will not be able to count on defender Diego Rico either.

REAL SOCIEDAD: Remiro; Gorosabel, Zubeldia, Le Normand, Muñoz; Zubimendi, Merino, Silva, Brais Méndez; Kubo and Sadiq.

MADRID ATHLETIC: Oblak; Llorente, Gimenez, Witsel, Reinildo, Carrasco; Kondogbia, De Paul, Coke; Joao Felix and Morata.

--REFEREE: Soto Grado (C.Riojano).

--STADIUM: Reale Arena.

--TIME: 18.30/Movistar LaLiga.