Pamplona/Madrid, Jan 28 (EFE) his future in the rojiblanco team, with which he defends his place in the last decade in the top four this Sunday against Osasuna, between the wear and tear of both due to the recent extensions in the Copa del Rey, with an unequal outcome for both.
It is the only objective, essential, that the Madrid team has left in this course, after the elimination on Thursday in the Copa del Rey against Real Madrid, between the indignation of a possible second yellow card for Dani Ceballos that has unleashed an unknown maelstrom, from another era, with a statement from Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, its CEO, which points to the pressure and arbitration influence of Real Madrid.
Meanwhile, among the controversy, the sporting aspect arises, the game on Sunday against Osasuna… And the future of the coach, who has resumed a relevant place in Atlético today, because the coach himself raised the question at the same time as his team was eliminated from the Cup: “We have almost the entire second round left to reach the goal that the club needs and then, calmly, we will look at everything that suits us all.”
His continuity, his place during the last eleven and a half years on the Atlético bench, already for the 607 games and the eight titles, more than anyone in the almost 120 years of the club’s history, is more in the air than ever, for much that his contract is set until 2024, to the same extent as the crucial factor that puts him within a reasonable unknown: qualification for the Champions League, which marks the future until June.
Simeone’s team has never fallen from there, which maintains its struggle for it in El Sadar, at the end of the irregular first round that Atlético has completed, which has grown without nuances since the return of the Qatar 2022 World Cup break, but that he needs more, involved in an increasingly tight competition for fourth place (Villarreal starts the day with the same 31 points as him, for example, and his Sunday opponent, Osasuna, is only three points behind). There is hardly any margin for error. It is already at the limit.
Another story is Real Sociedad’s third place, seven points behind, or unthinkable heights, higher, which sees an apparently insurmountable difference with respect to Real Madrid and Barcelona, 10 and 13 points ahead, respectively, at the start of the day, while rediscovering a more recognizable level, as he has done in recent duels, and recovering from the wear and tear of the intense extra time he played against Real Madrid.
Without Marcos Llorente, out for the second game in a row due to a low-grade muscle injury from which he is finishing his recovery (he will be ready for the next game against Getafe), without Stefan Savic, due to a trauma suffered in the derby, and without victories In his last three league outings, with a draw and two defeats, Simeone squeezes the hours to relieve his players and form the eleven for the best performance against Osasuna.
The recovery of the derby will condition the line-up, which, if they are all in optimal conditions (except for the aforementioned two casualties), should not vary much from the typical proposal of the last matches, with Ángel Correa, Álvaro Morata (recovered from the blow in the derby ) and Antoine Griezmann up front and with the alternative of Memphis Depay, substitute and with minutes in each of the duels he has faced since his arrival at the club.
José María Giménez will enter the defense, next to Mario Hermoso, reaffirmed in the eleven; On the right and left sides, both Nahuel Molina and Reinildo Mandava are expected, in the latter case with the option of Sergio Reguilón to reduce his load of minutes, and Jan Oblak in goal.
The midfield line opens up the options, with Koke Resurrección, impressive in the derby, once again vindicated as an important piece. Thomas Lemar, Rodrigo de Paul, Geoffrey Kondobgia, Axel Witsel, Pablo Barrios, even Saúl Ñíguez, for whom Valencia has been interested for now, are Simeone’s multiple options to complete the two remaining positions in midfield. He has given no clues.
Opposite, Atlético Osasuna is in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey. He qualified after extra time. The 120 minutes played against Sevilla on Wednesday loaded the red backpack with happiness, leaving behind 18 years of attempts to get into the long-awaited cup semifinals, a feat that they will seek to leave aside until said competition returns.
Jagoba Arrasate, his coach, stressed that it was “a great joy for everyone”, although he warned: “What we have experienced is very beautiful, but this does not stop and we do not want to stop there. We are doing a great league and we want to finish the first round in the best way”.
Osasuna has lost in the last 8 games against Atlético. It is one of Arrasate’s pending subjects since he arrived in Pamplona. At El Sadar, the Navarrese have conceded 14 goals to one in favor on the last four occasions.
For him, the rojiblanco team is “ultra competitive in any circumstance”, which is why he sees “few weaknesses” in a rival who is “fatal”.
In contrast, Osasuna arrives at the clash leaving signs that his best version is close. The game against Betis and Sevilla in the Cup and the three points in LaLiga against Mallorca make the rivals see Tajonar’s team again as a difficult opponent to beat.
The preparation time for the appointment has been practically non-existent. On Friday, the squad had a day off, so Arrasate only had this Saturday to carry out the final preparations.
With the return of Lucas Torró to the eleven after the penalty match in Elche, he regains the helm which, together with the help of Moi Gómez and David García, will once again be key in the future of the match.
Chimy Ávila looks like he will also start. His form does not allow Arrasate to do without a player who has scored in the last three games. Aitor Fernández returns to the goal with a Budimir as an offensive reference. The rest of the eleven is unknown.
Probable lineups:
Osasuna: Aitor Fernández; Moreno, Unai García, David García, Juan Cruz; Nougat; Chimy Ávila, Rubén García, Moi Gómez, Abde; Budimir
Atletico Madrid: Oblak; Molina, Gimenez, Hermoso, Reinildo; De Paul, Koke, Lemar; Correa, Morata, Griezmann.
Referee: Alberola Rojas (C. Castellanomanchego).
Stadium: El Sadar
Time: 4:15 pm
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Positions: Osasuna (7th, 28 points); Atlético de Madrid (4th, 31 points).
The key: Moreno and Chimy Ávila against Reinildo and Griezmann.
The fact: Osasuna has only beaten Atlético once in the last decade (3-0, 2014).
The phrase: Arrasate: “What we have experienced is very beautiful, but we do not want to stay there”
The environment: The statements by Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, CEO of Atlético de Madrid, through a statement on the club’s website, in which he criticized the pressure and influence of Real Madrid in arbitration proceedings, mark the hours prior to the meeting in El Sadar.
