According to multiple reports in Spain, Diego Simeone has more or less settled on his starting lineup for the massive second leg Champions League clash against Barcelona.
In their recent match against Sevilla, Diego Simeone rested every single outfield player who started in the first leg against Barcelona. They did go on to lose the match 2-1, but that won’t bother them at all, as their entire focus is for the vital second leg clash against Barcelona. We can expect them to come into the match with full match sharpness and fitness.
We expect this to be Atletico’s likely XI at the Metropolitano:
Goalkeeper:
Jan Oblak is back from his abdominal issue but Juan Musso has been excellent in recent matches and we expect him to be the starter again.
Defence:
Ruggeri is expected to start as the left-back. Nahuel Molina keeps his place at right-back. Hancko remains a major doubt for Tuesday's clash alongside Jose Gimenez. So, the centre-back partnership is likely to be of the duo of Robin Le Normand and former Barcelona man Clément Lenglet.
Midfield:
Marcos Llorente and Koke are expected to start together again. Simeone clearly trusts this duo to control the middle and provide the balance he wants. Lookman and Giuliano Simeone should get the nod for the left and right mid/flank positions respectively.
Attack:
Antoine Griezmann and Julian Alvarez will lead the line as usual, with Sorloth coming on as a substitute.
Atletico Madrid possible starting lineup:
Musso; Molina, Lenglet, Le Normand, Ruggeri; Simeone, Llorente, Koke, Lookman; Griezmann, Alvarez
What this means for Barcelona
Simeone is going with a very familiar setup; the same group that got the job done in the first leg. He’s not overthinking it. For Barcelona, this lineup isn’t a surprise, but it does confirm what we already suspected: Atlético will sit deep, stay compact, and look to hit us on the break. The presence of both Griezmann and Álvarez means Barcelona will have to be extremely careful with the high-line.
It also shows that Simeone isn’t panicking. He’s sticking with the players who gave him the result in the first leg.
The big question now is how Hansi Flick sets Barcelona up to break them down and make a historic remontada. Barcelona need goals early, but they also can’t afford to leave themselves wide open at the back. If Atletico manage to score one early, the dream will be over then and there. Barcelona must score at least one goal before the half-hour mark which will put Atletico under pressure. Barcelona need their surprise heroes to turn up for the night, for it is going to be intense.