Memphis wants more

Now that he has overcome the muscular injury that kept him out of the last six games of the last League, the reunion of Memphis DePay including competition with Atletico Madrid He once again proved his decisive figure, with a great goal in which he broke the match on Monday against Granada, but he was not satisfied, going on a run of four goals in his last five duels within the championship.

“I want to continue like this. I really want and am hungry to help the team. I want to show that the level we expect from Atlético de Madrid is high. Of course I can improve. The team can improve. But I am happy with the first game and with my goal”, he appreciated in the club’s media statements, published this Tuesday, after showing all his punches on the opposite goal.

“The fans were singing throughout the game. And that’s what we need. So we can compete for the titles and, of course, we have to do our part to satisfy the fans and make them happy. I think we made them happy. this Monday to a large degree. We will continue to strive to make them proud.”

“Memhpis scored a great goal, which gives you peace of mind in the game for everything to come,” he said. Diego Simeonehis coach, at the end of the duel, where he brought the striker to replace Morata on the brink of confrontation time against the Andalusian team.

In the 67th minute, five after Granada drew, more than 25 meters from the opposing goal defended by andre ferreirain one of the areas not yet considered to be in real danger, a pass was received from Yannick Carrascocontrolled with the right and combined his massive shot, a kick with the right that went, wilting, into the squad for 2-1.

His numbers speak volumes. Since his arrival at Atlético, transferred in the last winter market from Barcelona to sign a contract until 2025, he has played ten games with the block of Diego Simeone, three as a starter, with five goals. He averaged a goal every 63 minutes. Or one every 3.4 pitches. Or one in every 1.8 if his shot goes on goal.

He has scored four goals in his last five league games, between last season and the current one. Having scored against Granada, he added to the goal achieved against him Valladolid (2-5), which was his last game last year because he was just injured, and the two he made in a 6-1 win over Seville, another one of them with an impressive whiplash in the squad, closer than the one achieved against Granada. His other target matches the 0-1 victory in Balaídos match Celticbefore.

The must, so far, is in its continuation. Two different muscular injuries, unrelated to each other, as reported by the rojiblanco club at the time, kept him out of eleven of the 22 games he has been able to play so far with Atlético, 50 percent, the penultimate of times – the past. March 18 against Valencia- when he was starting his consolidation with ownership.

He was called upon to pick it up again, though on the first day he lost his wrist for a place in the starting eleven with alvaro moratain the fast-paced competition that is expected to be a partner in the attack of Antoine Griezmann Within the eleven types of Simeone. Good internal competition is visible, always highlighted as key by the coach, from which the rojiblanco team will benefit. Espanyol also scored against Granada, on the brink of the break, at 1-0.

“Obviously the areas rule and we have players who can do it well. Alvaro he scored one goal and had another disallowed; Memphis scored a great goal and had a chance to score another; belt it went in well; griezmann He didn’t have a good game, but we need him at his best and that creates competition,” he explained.

THE CRY FACTOR

He also added to that the offensive capacity of Marcos Llorente, author of thirteen goals as Atlético were LaLiga champions in 2020-21, in addition to providing another twelve assists, in his natural position as an inside right in the midfield triangle of Simeone’s 5-3-2 scheme. “He returned to the goal, being an intern, the time we put him there (before he played as a right winger, in the absence of Nahuel Molina due to injury)”, the coach pointed out.

“That brings enthusiasm for us, because we need the goal and the play of the boys in the team,” said Simeone, who was also, later, in that competition. João Felix, although his future is outside the club, except for surprise. This Monday he entered the call, but he didn’t even warm up. He didn’t play minutes in the preseason, between some muscular discomfort and his expected departure before September. On the 1st, at midnight, the term ends in the major European leagues.

“The League begins, Joao is with us, he knows exactly what we need, what we want and what we will ask for. have to compete with Correa, Morata, Griezmann and Memphis and if he is better than them he will play”, explained Simeone, whose team has added 54 points, more than anyone in the League, since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when he began a reaction that described 17 wins , 5 draws and 3 losses in 25 games. in the tournament Neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid achieved such productivity.