Pepe Brasín sees squad depth as Atlético’s key difference

Pepe Brasín sees squad depth as the major difference between the current Atlético side and its teams of recent seasons. His assessment comes as the club enters one of the most important weeks of its season, with two demanding fixtures ahead: Bayern de Múnich in the Champions League, followed by Barcelona in LaLiga. The matches will also help show how far Diego Pablo Simeone’s team can go.

Speaking with Raúl Varela on La Tribu, Brasín focused on the ability to rotate without losing competitiveness. “The difference between this year’s Atleti and the one from recent years, in my opinion, is that the rotations we’re talking about, the depth, mean it has 15 or 16 starters, and that wasn’t true before,” he said.

He pointed to the choices available in several positions: “If Johnny Cardoso plays or Gallagher plays, there are differences, but the team is just as competitive.” He also raised the possibility of Cuti getting injured, naming Pubill and Hancko as alternatives. In his view, the squad now has four or five players who do not start but are performing at a level worthy of a starting place at Atlético de Madrid.

That depth, Brasín said, allows Simeone to make changes without compromising the team’s level. But the sequence of the two matches also puts Atlético in a position where priorities may need to be weighed. Brasín described the Champions League league phase as “entertainment”, unless a team is in a very difficult position. If a choice had to be made, he said he would “sacrifice Bayern without any doubt” in favour of a league win.

The reason is the potential significance of the match against Barcelona: Brasín noted that a victory could put Atlético top on matchday 12. “What it would mean for Atlético de Madrid to beat Barça and go top on matchday 12 doesn’t even come close to a magnificent Champions League win,” he argued. His reasoning was straightforward: “The Champions League is played in March; it isn’t played here and now.”