Alvarez: Simeone Says Cheaper London Hotel Fits Atletico Madrid
alvarez was part of the Atletico Madrid picture in London on Tuesday, but Diego Simeone wanted the focus elsewhere: the hotel switch. He dismissed superstition talk and said the club moved because the new accommodation was cheaper and the team is stronger than it was in October.
Simeone on the London switch
“We are better now than in October and now the hotel is cheaper,” Simeone said before the second leg of Atletico’s Champions League semi-final against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. The change drew speculation after Atletico’s heavy 4-0 defeat in London in October, but the coach pushed back on that reading.
“What I notice is that they are always looking for some headline that is out of the ordinary for a semi-final. And simply the one who plays better and strengthens their weapons will be the one closest to winning,” he said. Atletico changed accommodation to a different hotel for Tuesday’s encounter, and the move became one more detail in a tense build-up to a decisive night.
Arsenal and Atletico trade blows
Last week’s first leg in Madrid ended in a draw after Arsenal took the lead through a Viktor Gyokeres penalty late in the first half. Julian Alvarez converted a spot kick 11 minutes into the second period to pull Atletico level, and Simeone now has his team in position to chase a place in its third Champions League final under his leadership.
That result left the tie balanced, with both sides carrying a reason to believe they can finish it in London. Simeone made the matchup sound simple: the side that plays better and sharpens its weapons moves closest to victory.
Alvarez and Sorloth fitness
Selection still mattered as much as the venue. Simeone said Alexander Sorloth, Julian Alvarez and Giuliano Simeone were better after moving a bit yesterday, and the team would train again before deciding how to start.
Sorloth had missed the home game because of a tight hamstring, but Simeone made his need for the forward plain. “An extremely important role, we need him very much. It was a shame he couldn't play in the home game because of a tight hamstring. We need him whether it's for 10 or 90 minutes,” he said.
Atletico go into the second leg with a cheaper hotel, a level tie, and three attackers under watch. For Simeone, the calculation is less about the room they sleep in than the players he can trust when the game starts.
