No Suarez, no problem for Atlético?
There are many out there directing withering stares in the direction of the very concept of international football at the moment, but few will be more full of ire right now than those of an Atlético Madrid persuasion. Los Colchoneros are not just unbeaten in the seven matches they’ve played in this season in La Liga but since lockdown, stretching back 23 games overall.
So they should be in fine fettle to face Barcelona, whose institutional crisis is no longer news and who still have considerable hurdles to face on the pitch, despite the flattering 5-2 win over Betis before the international break. However, Atlético will have to do without Luis Suarez – who would have loved nothing better than to have a go at the club who showed him the door – and Lucas Torreira, who both tested positive for COVID-19 after international duty with Uruguay, something president Enrique Cerezo made his angst about clear in recent days.
The Madrid side have reason to be optimistic, though, despite these setbacks, and not only because of that unbeaten run. The apparent coming of age of João Félix, which is perhaps the highlight of the whole Spanish season, allows them to feel emboldened, and perhaps gives them the extra bit of bravery they’ve lacked in recent meetings with Barça. The return to form of Koke, who shone in Spain’s demolition of Germany, might help tip the balance in midfield too.
Hertha want to continue revival against Dortmund
Much of the pre-match focus here will be on the visitors, as Dortmund aim to recover from their defeat to Bayern Munich in what was the game of the Bundesliga season so far. The week leading up to the game has been a tale of two strikers, with the Norwegian authorities suggesting that Erling Haaland should still be in quarantine after international duty (he is, however, expected to play) and Lucien Favre teasing the possibility of Youssoufa Moukoko, who is celebrating his 16th birthday, potentially travelling to the capital now he’s eligible to play.
Yet Hertha deserve their due consideration as well. Their 3-0 win at Augsburg last time out was impressive, and it was a much-needed result for Bruno Labbadia, with the flashes of class that his team have shown on occasion this season only serving to highlight how much they’ve underwhelmed on the whole. Despite the Augsburg victory, they’ve lost four of their seven games to date.
Hertha’s best policy to get after the visitors will be attack. It’s where their strengths lie and despite the absence of Jhon Córdoba, Matheus Cunha leads a set of players including Dodi Lukebakio and Krzysztof Piatek, with the latter playing his best game of the season at Augsburg before scoring on international duty for Poland. Dealing with directness is also something that Dortmund consistently struggle with, so that’s another consideration in a match that will see Lucien Favre questioned if his team fail to win.
Back Hertha and Dortmund to draw at 4.77/2
Source: Betfair German
