Never mind Cristiano Ronaldo or the other members of Real Madrid’s ‘BBC’ forward line: according Diego Simeone, the biggest threat posed to Atletico comes from unheralded defensive midfielder Casemiro.
The unsung Brazilian was left on the sidelines when the teams last met in La Liga at the Bernabeu in February, and the open spaces left by Real’s defence allowed Antoine Griezmann to score the only goal of the game as Atletico won 1-0.
Real boss Zinedine Zidane subsequently inserted Casemiro into his line-up, and was rewarded with his team reaching tonight’s final and finish La Liga with 12 straight wins.
Simeone said: “Zidane’s work has been impressive. He took the decision to rely on Casemiro, which has changed the face of the team. For the balance of the side, Casemiro is their most important player.
“He allows them to regroup if they lose the ball and maintain their attacking potential.”
Atletico have lost just one of the 10 games between the teams since the 2014 Champions League final, and the Argentine does not believe his team’s heartbreaking loss in Lisbon will leave any scars.
“To play a final is absolutely fantastic; to win it is supreme,” he added. “That experience makes you want to continue. It’s not easy because you have to pick yourself up, keep reinventing yourself without changing the commitment, the values and the work. That’s the most valuable thing at this club. Everyone works with the idea of continuing to grow.”
Atletico are aiming for a first European title to complete the set for Simeone, who has won every other available trophy since taking over in December 2011.
“I love having 113 years of history on my shoulders,” Simeone added.
