After seven consecutive victories and eleven goals scored and none conceded in two games, Atlético de Madrid has recovered and even increased its hopes at the beginning of the season. The game system has completely changed. A defense of five is no longer used, but a 4-4-2 that continually turns into a 4-3-3 or even a brave 4-2-4. They apply pressure like never before, they look for the opponent’s goal with greater insistence, and the team does not retreat as soon as they score the first goal. The full-backs continually rise, with Javi Galán who was previously looked for in a team and now shines on the wing, fast and forceful. The signings increasingly demonstrate their true value. Connor Gallagher presses like no one else and arrives wonderfully at the opposite area. Julián Álvarez, the most talented player on the team, should be the natural replacement for Griezmann, who despite his age (which has led him to retire from the French team) is capable of scoring a goal that raises the fans of the rival team from their seats. Sorloth simply keeps scoring. Le Normand, the best Spanish centre-back, has yet to recover from his injury, although others can make up for his absence with guarantees. Welcome Lenglet to the scorers’ club. The game of the youth players Barrios and Giuliano goes up game by game like foam. They take turns or coexist perfectly with the veterans Llorente, De Paul, Koke or Correa. Rorro waits for his opportunity to leave through the front door. In the reserve team and in the youth teams there are budding figures. Oblak is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. In short, there is an excellent squad, in the process of forming a magnificent team, which can and should fight with the other two so-called greats of Spanish football to win all the titles in which it participates. If things continue like this, this can be a great season. Surely the famous ‘Calderonian’ banner (by Don Vicente, not by the playwright) of ‘This year yes’ will reappear. There is a long time left to know if we will finally choose to ‘champion’ or we will settle for being fourth in the League and being eliminated in the cup competitions, with the same speed with which El Niño galloped along the wings. Always with inherent humility and discretion. And knowing, with Borges (which does not mean putting the bandage on before the wound) that defeat has a dignity that the noisy victory does not deserve.
#Nicolás #Álvarez #Tólcheff #License #dream
