Atlético starts a crucial week, with the possibility of accessing the semifinals of the Copa del Rey and assaulting the league lead in two Madrid derbies against Getafe and Real Madrid. Two high -level challenges that matt … The mood on the rise. Reasons do not lack: 18 victories accumulate in their last 20 games (plus a draw and a defeat), and several rojiblancos soccer players, within the good general performance of the team, cross a peak enviable.
The last to join this dynamic has been Samuel Lino, who exemplifies as few the importance of moments and sensations in football. The Brazilian, author of the goal of the draw against Villarreal a week ago, achieved on Saturday against Mallorca scoring in two consecutive days for the first time since his arrival at Atlético (he did it in his assignment to Valencia). Two goals who joined their fifth assistance of the season, signed in the Champions League duel against Salzburg. A round week.
Lino begins to resemble the player who fell in love with the Metropolitan last year, when he was decisive with eight goals and many other assists. That daring and brave version, so applauded, did not finish appearing this season. The competition, first with Riquelme and now also with Gallagher, had it in a want and I can’t. He doubted, he rushed, he didn’t find clarity. His numbers did not reflect his effort.
It is fair to say that, despite these negative symptoms, Simeone never lost confidence in him. Lino has participated in 28 of the 34 official matches played so far, although it is true that their opportunities used to arrive from the bench.
It was not until the end of November when the end of Santo André began to take advantage of his overflow capacity. Until then, he only added an assistance-to Griezmann in 3-0 to Valencia (September 15)-, but in a matter of fifteen days he recorded three more: a Correa in 0-6 to Prague Sparta, to Julián Álvarez in the 3-1 to Slovan de Bratislava and, again, to Griezmann in 4-3 to Sevilla. That was the pass that certified the victory. That same day he also managed to mark his first goal of the season, that of the draw.
Now, in addition to its precision in the pass -of which Griezmann benefits especially (his attendance against Salzburg also went to the ‘Little Prince’) -, he added the stuck that is expected of a second -line arrival. And that is excellent news for Simeone in one of the most determining moments of the campaign. «Lino has humility to work, a lot of associative game and courage to face one against one. He always generates goal occasions and, when he improves in the definition, will continue to grow as a footballer, ”said the rojiblanco coach at the end of the duel against Mallorca.
“The myister asks me to be decisive,” admitted the player himself after the match, satisfied with his progression after a few complicated months. «I was always working. Sometimes things do not go well, bad times are going through, but I never lost my focus on my work or recovering the level of me in the past, ”he said.
With 25 years recently, Lino accumulates more than 200 games in Europe – where it landed in 2019 to play in the Gil Vicente Portuguese – and is close to reaching half a hundred goals. Despite its numbers, the Brazilian team is still not called. A thorn stuck. Also its greatest stimulus.
#Samu #Linos #awakening
