Cuti Romero issues warning before his first derby against Real Madrid | OneFootball

Atlético de Madrid’s center-back knows there will be no room for error against Madrid’s attacking threat

Cuti Romero is already awaiting his first major test with Atlético de Madrid. The Argentine defender will be one of the key figures in this Sunday’s derby on September 20 against Real Madrid, a match that will also mark the center-back’s first meeting with Los Blancos as an Atlético player.

Romero has started to show in his recent matches the authority that led Atlético to bet on him, and now he will face a top-level test at the Metropolitano. In front of him will be some of the most dangerous attackers in world football.

“I know that, for the fans, obviously, for the whole club, it’s the most important match of the season,” the Argentine told ESPN Argentina.

“We’re doing well, personally I’m feeling good, and I’m really looking forward to this match. I think we’ve been putting in good performances, and hopefully Sunday goes the same way.”

Cuti identifies Madrid’s main danger

Romero knows that keeping a clean sheet will be especially difficult against Real Madrid’s attacking firepower. Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham will be some of the main threats to Atlético’s defense.

“They have Vinicius, Mbappé, Bellingham… they’re the most important attackers, great players. They’re very strong one-on-one,” he explained.

For the Argentine, facing players of that level demands absolute concentration for the full 90 minutes. A single lapse can completely change the course of the match.

“It’s not luck, you have to stay alert for the whole match, you can’t give them a single meter because they’re players who sometimes seem like they’re not in the game, and then in two or three minutes, like what happened in the 2022 World Cup final with Mbappé, where we had dominated them for 80 minutes and then he shows up in the last ten and scores two goals out of nowhere to change the match.”

The Metropolitano, a factor for Atlético

The Argentine defender also highlighted the importance of playing the derby in front of the home fans. For Romero, the atmosphere at the Metropolitano should become an extra factor in the push for all three points.

“Playing at home has to be a plus, to get the three points,” he said.

Atlético come into the match hoping to maintain the solid defensive form they have shown in recent games, although Romero himself admits that keeping a third straight clean sheet will be a much tougher task against Madrid’s attacking power.

Romero expects a match of maximum intensity

The center-back also avoided focusing all the preparation on Real Madrid’s big names. From his perspective, the key will be to stay concentrated and fix the details the team still need to improve.

“Beyond that, you always try to focus on what we’re doing well and on what we have to correct,” he explained.

And he predicted a very difficult clash because of the quality of the opposition: “It’s going to be a very tough match because of the quality of the players we have in front of us.”

This Sunday, the Metropolitano will be the stage for Romero’s first Madrid derby in an Atlético shirt. The Argentine already knows what it means to face big stars in decisive matches. Now he will have to bring that experience into one of the most eagerly awaited matches of the season.

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