Atlético de Madrid returns to its Metropolitan stadium to face Deportivo La Coruña on Saturday, October 24, in a duel that is presented as an opportunity to put pressure in the fight for the League. After two consecutive outings to Barcelona and Stuttgart, Simeone's team seeks to consolidate the good progress it has shown in recent games and prevent the Galician rival, which remains in its return to First Division, from taking points that could bring the leaders, Barcelona and Real Madrid, closer to the European qualification zone.
The meeting is held within the framework of “Día de las Peñas”, a tradition that culminates with the Deportivo event. Atlético, who have recorded five consecutive victories in the competition, are in second place with 22 points, just five behind the Catalan leader. The red and white club, however, faces the uncertainty that Sunday's "Clásico" between Barça and Real Madrid could leave Hansi Flick and José Mourinho's team with some loss of points, which would benefit Simeone's squad.
The red and white team comes to the game with several absences due to injury. Koke, Cristian “Cuti” Romero and Johnny Cardoso are left out, which affects the solidity of the midfield and the ability to get out from the defense. Koke's absence was felt in the defeat against Stuttgart, where Atlético received more shots than usual and had difficulties controlling the ball from behind. The coach will also have to decide whether to incorporate Hjulmand or Vargas in the midfield, while the forward line will be reinforced by Julián, who has already scored his first goal for the club.
In Deportivo's defense, coach Antonio Hidalgo has had to reorganize the defense after Bright Ede's medical leave. The Belgian Lucas Noubi is presented as the favorite option to occupy the right center position along with José María Giménez, who makes his return to the Metropolitano after 13 seasons and almost 400 games with the red and white shirt. Other players who are out include Marc Casadó, who had clavicle surgery; Aubameyang, who is recovering from a meniscus injury and will be unavailable until November; and Zakaria, who suffers a broken wrist.
The match not only represents a test of Atlético's freshness and offensive capacity, but also an opportunity for Simeone's team to take advantage of the possible weakness of the rivals in the next round. With the departure of key players and the need to maintain pressure on the table, the match against Deportivo is shaping up to be a turning point for the red and whites, who seek to consolidate their position in the fight for European qualification.