Simeone leaps to Julian Alvarez's defence and identifies Atletico Madrid's strength
"We must stay calm tomorrow."
Diego Simeone has leapt to the defence of Julian Alvarez, with Atletico Madrid hosting Manchester United tomorrow, Tuesday, in the second round of the Champions League group stage.
Alvarez hasn't scored since last season's semi-final on 29 April, but his coach refuses to make a drama of it.
Cholo said in a press conference: "Forwards with Julian's characteristics always need goals, and he is not the only one."
He then set about listing everything the Argentine brings beyond the goals: "He is a team player, he can link up and coordinate, and he has many other tools besides simply scoring goals."
Praise followed for the striker's most recent outing: "He produced a great performance in the second half in the last match, and we hope he continues to develop to reach the place where we all want to see him."
224 days without a goal in La Liga
His last league goal came on 28 February, the winner in Atletico Madrid's 1-0 victory over Oviedo at the Tartiere.
That's 224 days. He has at least found the net in the other two competitions Atletico Madrid are involved in, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, brings a return to his favourite competition. Alvarez has 17 goals and six assists in 26 Champions League matches for the Rojiblancos, on top of the eight goals and two assists he registered in 17 games with Manchester City.
There's another score to settle, too. He never managed to score against Manchester United during his time at City.
One goal would kill two birds: the drought ends and the thorn in his side against an opponent he has yet to beat comes out.
The importance of winning after the defeat to Liverpool
Beaten at Anfield in the opener, the Argentine coach knows exactly what tomorrow is worth: "We know how difficult this competition is, and this format forces you to try to pick up points whether you are playing at home or away, in the first match or the last, and it is clear that we need points like all the teams who want to stay in the competition."
Talk of the Champions League final at the Wanda Metropolitano got short shrift. Diego fell back on the philosophy that has defined his Atletico Madrid career, one match at a time: "I understand your position in focusing on the Champions League final at the Wanda Metropolitano, but let's move on to the reality of the day-to-day matches, one match after another. Let's not stir up ideas like: if we reach the final, then that.... No, let's focus on the day-to-day matches, and that is where our strength lies."
His read on Manchester United was that the draws disguise a side every bit as dangerous as last season: "They are a team that presses hard in your half of the pitch, and they have quick players. Regardless of the results, where they have had many draws, they are producing the same performances they produced last year. They are a strong team, but we have to play in a style that allows us to hurt them."
Picking the right eleven and nursing tired legs will matter, he stressed, in a match he expects to be gruelling.
He added: "We have to stay calm and manage the key players tomorrow in the best possible way, because the match will be long and difficult, and we have to manage their efforts well in order to compete effectively."
Two of his players are in very different places. Lookman is hunting for his best level, while Baena is thriving after a season wrecked by injuries.
Patience with Lookman and praise for Baena
Patience is what Simeone asked for with the Nigerian: "He is not in the place he wants to be, nor in the place where we want to see him, but he works every day searching for that player. He is a dribbler, and we need him to be like that, to lose the ball, and to keep trying."
Baena got a warmer verdict, with the World Cup looming large: "He was going through an inconsistent year because of injuries. And now the World Cup has come around, which has given him confidence and security... He is at the peak of his level, and we have to try to make the most of each player's best moments in order to achieve the best results for the team."
