Why does 'butcher' Costa still make coach Simeone infatuated?
Striker Diego Costa did not score in Atletico Madrid's 3-2 comeback win over Eibar last night. However, even so, he showed that he is far from being a piece of trash.
The recent match was actually the first time Costa was used by coach Diego Simeone this season, even though La Liga 2019/20 has reached the third round. Excluding friendly matches, the last time the Brazilian-born Spanish striker played for Atletico Madrid was on April 6.
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| The last match was actually the first time Costa was used by coach Diego Simeone this season. |
Costa's long absence is not because he is no longer in Simeone's plans, but because the player has been suspended for 8 matches (from the end of last season to the beginning of this season). This is the result of Costa insulting the referee and receiving a red card in the match when Atletico lost 0-2 at Nou Camp to Barca.
In fact, Costa's suspension ended right after the opening round of 2019/20. He missed the second match (Atletico vs Leganes) simply because he had not recovered from his injury. As soon as he returned, the former Chelsea striker played the full 90 minutes of the Spanish capital's recent match against Eibar.
Based on the fact that even expensive rookie Joao Felix did not have the above honor (he was withdrawn in the second half), it is clear that coach Simeone still considers Costa an important link in his tactical system. Reality has proven that the Argentine strategist was completely right to put his trust in Costa, because the striker wearing the number 19 shirt had an extremely impressive day of competition.
Indeed, in the context of Atletico being pushed into a difficult position when losing 2 goals after only 19 minutes of play, it was Costa who rekindled the hope of earning a point for the home team with a pass that helped Felix shorten the gap to 1-2 in the 27th minute.
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| The striker who scored a poker against Real in a friendly match not long ago has shown everyone that he is a valuable asset to Atletico. |
That assist, along with two disallowed goals against Eibar, proved that Costa is still very useful for Atletico. Even when he doesn't score, he is still Atletico's highest-rated attacker according to Whoscored.
Last summer, there were many rumors that Costa, with his impulsive and unruly temperament, would have difficulty staying at Atletico. However, in his debut match this season, the striker who scored a poker against Real in a friendly match not long ago showed everyone that he is a valuable asset that Atletico must especially cherish.