“Better to keep quiet.” This was Simeone’s way of expressing his disagreement regarding the ‘Dani Olmo case’ and the leniency shown towards Vinicius. The coach chooses silence because his team, in general, and Julián Álvarez in particular, raise their voices on his behalf. Atlético resumes La Liga in 2025 where it left off in 2024, with another victory. Winning, winning and winning again, as Luis Aragonés would say. That makes a total of 14 consecutive victories, a record in the club’s history, and no one seems to care what Cholo would say.
Atlético occupies the top of La Liga, ahead of Real Madrid and Barcelona, after another narrow victory, thanks to a goal from Julián Álvarez, and with a clean sheet, remembering their last game in 2024 against Getafe. The Cholo spirit is evident as they end one year and begin another. Leaders and winter champions, the rojiblancos reach the halfway point of the championship after an afternoon full of reunions.
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The Grecia stand shines once again with a red and white wave from midday. It’s the first pre-game gathering of the year, a reunion with seatmates, the first snack of the year… Hugs abound, only interrupted by a recurring question: ‘How do you see it today?’ Atlético fans are cautious by nature. “You shouldn’t be too trusting,” says Fermín, a red-and-white fan with Navarrese roots, as his homeland and his team converge on the Metropolitano.
And the fan knows more because he is old than because he is wise. It was a trap match for Atlético, given the position in the table of both teams, the rotations introduced by Vicente Moreno, and the VAR, which correctly annulled a goal by Griezmann and changed the course of the match. Until that moment, Simeone’s men were in control, but the decision led to better minutes for Osasuna.
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-The fixed fee of 75 million euros and 15 million in variables paid by Atlético for Julián Álvarez labeled him a star. However, he has dropped that label and immersed himself in hard work. If you watch Julián without the ball, you will see a player who does not shy away from making an effort, whether to put pressure in the opponent’s half or to help in his own. When he has possession, he gives meaning to the play, persisting even after colliding twice with Sergio Herrera. On the third attempt, after a pass from Lenglet, he managed to score.
Simeone faces the challenge of finding the right role to give Gallagher more impact. It is true that he has trusted him as a starter in key matches against Athletic, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, Betis, PSG, Barcelona… but the Englishman has not yet found his best version. It affected the game little from the left flank, which lacked an offensive presence. Neither Galan nor Gallagher made significant contributions. He also searched for space in the center without success, failing to deliver the crucial pass expected of him. He stayed on the bench after the break.
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Once again, Simeone successfully resolves the challenge presented to him by his opponent. Vicente Moreno had set up an impregnable defensive structure at the Metropolitano that had stifled Atlético’s initial momentum. Gallagher was limited on both the flank and the centre, leading Cholo to realize that he needed to inject depth into his team. Thus, Lino was brought onto the field, and Rubén Peña stopped venturing into the attack, needing to control the Brazilian’s movements and verticality. Atlético was transformed once again through the changes, once again…
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