As for the return in San Mames, it is not the numbers with Simeone, but the feelings satisfaction

Atletico Madrid will play all of its Copa del Rey matches next Thursday, February 29, in San Mames. After the defeat he suffered in the capital. San Mames, which Simeone visited 13 times and where They have more wins (six) than losses (five), plus two draws. Just one of those six wins would be enough for them to pass through the playoffs, with the other five drawn in the semi-finals and the other seven results achieved would not be enough. These numbers are not in Cholo's favor, but there are others that are not.

In the round-robin qualifiers, Simeone He's quite the teacher. With Atletico so far 75% of those contested have passed. Out of 48, 36 real animals won. But if we wanted to imagine and the result of the first leg was already known, we could see it Of the 10 meetings in which Simeone's men lost the first match, they were eliminated in eight and only advanced in two.

One of them was in the Champions League with a 1-0 defeat at Bayer Arena, a 1-0 win at the Calderon also, and a penalty kick win for Colchonero. The second was also in the Champions League but against Barcelona, ​​where he lost the first leg 2-1 on April 5, 2016, but won the second leg 2-0 with two goals also scored by Griezmann in the former red and white fiefdom. DefeatsOn the other side, They have faced Rubin Kazan, Real Madrid (twice), and also Barcelona (twice), Sevilla, Chelsea and Manchester City.

Winning a tie away from home is not easy and now without the double value of away goals things have changed. In most of these matches, Simeone's Atletico competed, and that is something that is in the DNA of this team. Moreover, San Mamés is an important and complex arena, but the colchoneros have their own reasons for confidence.

Reasons why Simeone dreams of returning

Atletico Madrid is mired in a stressful seasonWith matches every three days, a few moments of rest and changes in the team that complicate some situations, but despite everything, they have proven to be an important team that is alive in the three competitions and knows what they are playing.

The team believes in itself, and Koke actually said so in the press conference after the defeat: “The more you attack, the more exposed you become. A few years ago we played in a lower zone, but the team has a great width to play with.” . It's true that a lot of people asked us to take a step forward, and when we do, these things happen, but we shouldn't blame the team for anything.. We must correct these small details. He said: “Since we won the last league by playing a more attacking game, last season we changed and adapted. I hope we will continue on this path. The team is playing great football and we hope to achieve and win some titles.”

The second half against Athletic should be the mirror in which the team looks at itself. Simeone stressed more than once that the system is the key, and that he does not want the players to fix things on their own. He wants patience, calm and play. When Atletico play calmly, things get better. When Atletico want to score the second goal before the first, they are in a hurry and feel confused. Being brave and biting is good, it's a hallmark of Cholo teams, but with the game you win trophies, not just matches.

To finish the job, Simeone must involve his entire team. Before returning, he will play four matches in two weeks. Including a trip to Milan for the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 match at the Meazza against Inter.. This is the moment for the usual substitutes to step forward, because Atletico needs to be in top physical shape to be able to face the entire semi-final in San Mamés.

Yes, Atletico have many things to improve, because there are times when possession of the ball is not useful and they do not know how to attack. It needs more dynamism, more magic, more ease and boldness. The wicker isSince a team does not go 28 consecutive home games without losing by chance, the footballers too, now only need to take one (more) step forward and for the players to believe it, their coach believes.

Marcus Duran is international football writer for Relevo. Born in Mar del Plata, Argentina, he grew up in Alaoren de la Torre, and studied journalism at the University of Malaga. how

A professional, his first steps were in the mixed La Rosaleda area before the start of the race. On Erasmus he went to Rome where he began collaborating with Cadena Cop. After completing his master's degree in Multimedia Journalism in Granada, he requested an internship at Diario AS, where he was part of the AS América team. He witnessed and covered the 2021 Copa America from Brazil for AS and Cadena Ser, and watched on site as Messi lifted his first title as Argentina captain. He's been at the Maracanã, Wembley and Lucille.


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