Atlético step up work at Cidade do Galo, eye Sul-Americana response | OneFootball

Atlético remain firmly focused on their preparations for the decisive clash against Juventud (URU) in the second round of the Copa Sudamericana group stage. On the morning of this Tuesday (14), at Cidade do Galo, the black-and-white squad held another training session ahead of the match, which will take place next Thursday (16) at 7 p.m. at Arena MRV.

The session began with strength work in the training center gym. Afterwards, the players went out onto the pitch, using fields 5, 6 and 7 for warm-up activities. Under the guidance of coach Eduardo Domínguez, the group also took part in technical and tactical drills, as well as finishing practice, fine-tuning important details for the continental match.

The final training session before the clash against the Uruguayans is scheduled for this Wednesday (15), at 10 a.m., also at Cidade do Galo.

The match is considered crucial for Galo, who are looking to bounce back in the competition after a 2-1 defeat to Puerto Cabello (VEN) away from home in their opener. Juventud, meanwhile, arrive after a 1-1 draw with Cienciano (PER) in Uruguay.

Coach’s words

After last weekend’s defeat in the Brazilian Championship, Domínguez stressed the importance of getting a positive result in front of Atlético’s fans and indicated that he is likely to field his strongest available lineup:

“In the next game, at our stadium, with our fans, we have to win. If that doesn’t happen, we’ll start to fall behind in this competition. We’ll put all our focus and attention on this match, and the ones in the best condition will play. If we need to repeat the same team, we’ll do it. Because we have to improve, and these are the kinds of matches that give us confidence. Winning in front of our fans gives us more confidence. We have to lift our self-esteem,” said the coach.

Unlike in the opener, the tendency is for the manager to use a lineup closer to his first-choice team, aiming for the club’s first win in the tournament.

Update from the medical department

One of the day’s positive pieces of news was the progress of forward Alan Minda. The Ecuadorian, who is recovering from a muscle injury in the back of his left thigh, has already begun physical work on the pitch, doing running exercises under the supervision of the medical department.

Despite the progress, the player is still not expected to be included in the squad for Thursday’s match, but the expectation is that he will return to action soon.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.