Alright, so figuring out Atletico’s starting eleven against Athletic Club, huh? This one always gets tricky. Athletic at home are tough, and Diego Simeone loves his tweaks against Basque sides. Here’s how I pieced this puzzle together today.
Starting Point
First thing this morning, I dug out my old notes from last season’s clash at San Mamés. Got splinters opening that drawer, reminds me I need to organize better! Those games are always brutal. Athletic pressed high, smashed us physically… we barely squeezed out a draw. So yeah, Cholo won’t mess around. He needs warriors on the pitch. Got my giant blue marker and started scribbling names on the whiteboard in the kitchen – ignore the coffee stains.
Keeper? Oblak. Simple as that. Like locking your front door. No thinking needed there.
Backline Blues
The back four? That’s where it gets spicy. Saw reports Gimenez was training separately yesterday morning. My gut says he won’t risk him. Had Azpilicueta in my initial scribble, then remembered the Williams brothers exist. Both sides love to run. Nah, too risky. Switched him out. Ended up with:
- Savic – Old school. Head on a swivel, gonna clear everything.
- Witsel – Experienced, calm under pressure. Fits a grimy away game.
- Hermoso – Only proper fit left-footer now Reinildo’s gone. Better on the ball than Savic too, just pray his concentration holds.
For the sides? Molina on the right. His engine is massive. Need him tracking Nico Williams like his life depends on it. And Lino on the left over Riquelme. Riquelme’s great, but Lino offers more direct running and grit for this specific street fight.
Midfield Mashup
This is where my brain hurt. Who partners Koke? Simeone loves Rodrigo in big games, but damn he looked slow after 70 mins last week. My buddy Paulo texted – “Saúl or Barrios?!” Saúl’s got the experience, knows Athletic inside out. Barrios is energy. Stared at the options for ages. Went back to last season’s lineup notes. Cholo usually leans veteran for San Mamés. So I scrawled down Saúl. His shuttling and late runs can be useful too. Koke is mandatory glue. Captain material.
The attacking mid? Griezmann. Non-negotiable. He thrives creating something from nothing in these scraps. Put a big circle around his name.
Up Front
The real debate. Depay or Morata? Looked at stats – Depay linking up looks slicker. Morata’s form is patchy right now. But then I thought… Athletic’s center-backs. Big, bruising. Morata eats up that physicality. He holds the ball up better for Griezmann making those runs. Depay tries cheeky stuff that might get swatted away. Needs someone to battle. So reluctantly, crossed out Depay and wrote MORATA in capital letters. Bet the fan forums are screaming about this one already.
The Final Call
Checked injury news again. De Paul seems okay but probably gets rested. Hermoso definitely starting despite the grumbles online. Ended up with this mess on my board:
Oblak
Molina – Savic – Witsel – Hermoso – Lino
Koke – Saúl
Griezmann
Morata
Bench looks stacked though: Depay, Llorente, Riquelme, Barrios. Good options to change things if we’re getting outmuscled.
It’s not perfect, feels a bit rigid. But that’s Cholo away at San Mamés for you. Pack the middle, stay solid, hope Griezmann or Morata does something special. Gonna feel stupid if he surprises us all with Depay, but hey, this lineup feels like it survives the first 30-minute storm.
