At about 6:40 p.m., a very tight night in Leverkusen, Diego Costa, Jan Oblak and Thomas were stepping on the training camp between jokes. It was not the grass they expected to step on the day before the duel against Bayer that can give them the round of 16 with two days ahead. The state of the BayArena turf, punished by the three games played there (two from Bundesliga and one from the German Cup) in just over a week, recommended giving him a little break the day before the game. The fine rain didn't help either. So several stoves took care of the tapestry on Tuesday where the clash will be played. "These are factors that do not affect us," Mario Hermoso admitted, during his premiere with Simeone in the press room. For three games, injured Giménez and Savic, he forms the wall of Atlético.

In that small annexed field, where on Wednesday the Youth League match will be played, Costa fulfilled the ritual of 'Profe' Ortega. The physicist does not fail him, now it is the aim that is playing tricks on him. But Simeone's faith remains intact. For the Argentine, it has no expiration date. "We try to convey security to the players, in consequence with what they have marked on the field. We have to help all the players and we work on that," insisted Cholo, who also does not lose hope with Lemar . "I still have the same confidence as the first day we thought of him." Probably, the French will start on the bench.

Atlético knows that a daring and cheerful Bayer Leverkusen will be found again, as dictated by his coach Peter Bosz , but with one more march through the thrust of the BayArena stand. From there Simeone was defeated in 2015 (1-0) and winner in 2017 (2-4). "They have a very high pace of play and good association between players. We will take the game where we can hurt him," said the rojiblanco coach, who did not let a smile appear throughout his appearance.

Correa's appeal

The goal remains an obsession in the athletic costumes, although the numbers in the Champions League (five goals in three games) give them a little respite. The forcefulness has not helped us. "We missed a penalty against Getafe. Against Leganés, we failed Morata failed one hand to hand. The other day against Valencia was Arias. In Seville, Costa and Morata. The forcefulness generates being able to have this reliability in the face of goal. the more we manage to adjust this, we will surely grow, "he summed up after reciting the errors in front of the rival goal. The normal thing is that Costa and Morata start at Leverkusen, something that has not happened since the duel against Valencia (October 19). The day Joao Felix was injured.

And the normal thing is that Angel Correa also comes out, which has become the solution for many of Atlético's offensive problems in recent times. "When he is in great moment the team grows in a part where there are few like him. He and Vitolo can break the games when the rivals are locked up." Whoever goes out, in the Atletico's locker room they don't think about anything other than returning home with the ticket to the round of 16. For that they will have to win and, of course, win.

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