Lemar's 'return', Simeone's emotion and Carrasco's push: "Luck also counts"

• Chronicle: A stroke of fortune pushes a good Atlético in Mestalla

Visibly moved, Diego Simeone, gazing at the photo of his former partner and friend

, superimposed on one of Metalla's video scoreboards, with

, a Valencian myth, on the other, accompanied the minute of silence with intense and warm applause.

Perhaps it is a successful method to retain the tear.

What no longer admits doubt is his new board.

That new method that guides Atlético and that, this time, with a stroke of fortune, in the form of

own goal

, lifted him back to the LaLiga penthouse with Real Sociedad, after his sixth consecutive victory.

On the pitch, with no pure strikers to turn to, with the threat of Bayern just around the corner, Simeone added an author touch to his starting 11.

The respite to Joao Félix, who rested the first part, served as a push for

(1995).

The Frenchman, two years and shortly after (he arrived at Atlético in August 2018), drew one of his best matches.

The bar wasn't too high either, of course.

Perhaps that distant afternoon in

, when the summer of 2018 was dying, where he was the protagonist in the two goals of his team's victory, as greater glory.

More focused, both in the field and in his head, it was the best resource in a first act where the rojiblancos dominated, but did not aim.

In that luck of 5-3-2, he broke in as the second point with

.

During that first act, Lemar was seen again.

And that is too much already.

He showed off his left foot and started two great saves, the best of that first act, from

.

Both, after two shoes from outside the area.

It felt comfortable, it felt important after a long / too long time.

And he gave himself up in defense trying to give Simeone back that blind confidence.

Even when last January, his future planned away from Madrid, perhaps in England, before which

arrival seemed imminent

.

It was also not completely safe in the last market.

The fact is that Lemar is still there, trying to justify those

paid to Monaco for 70 percent of his rights.

The return of Kondogbia

When

returned to the scene after the break, he had to lie down in the band.

And there, after a powerful center from Llorente, he could have overtaken his own.

Aim failed him more than instinct.

denied him glory with his body.

In a large part of Atlético's offensive actions, the French prowled.

So until the hour and little that remained on the grass.

Until Simeone looked for an alternative to move that 0-0 that did not vary despite the rojiblanco dominance in Mestalla.

"Many footballers have grown since last year, like Lemar. Hopefully he can prove it, they will see it ...", suggested a week ago his coach, who has never lowered his arms for him.

Geoffrey Kondogbia

returned to set foot in what was his home until a month ago.

Now the returns have no more thorns than the sentimental ones.

The silence of the stands due to the coronavirus has sweetened harsh returns like that of the Central African.

The fact is that Atlético, superior throughout the game, ended up taking the game with a rebound goal from Lato, without Lemar on the pitch.

The play originated on that left wing where the Frenchman had previously run.

It was

, the protagonist a week ago against Barcelona, ​​who managed to unblock an afternoon that pointed to the second consecutive scoreless draw and the fourth of the season.

"Luck also counts. We are very focused on our work and seeing where we get," admitted the Belgian to the 'Movistar' microphones.

And he praised his French teammate: "Lemar played a very good game, he had a couple of chances."

The rojiblancos, who have only conceded two goals in nine games, continue to show their muscle in this league.

Nothing better than a victory like this to focus on Europe and on that Bayern visit that could be key to be in the second round of the Champions League.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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