Last season, one of the big surprises at Atlético de Madrid was Samuel Lino's performance, adapting to the wing-back position. Simeone always saw the Brazilian as the best alternative to occupy that position after Carrasco left for Saudi Arabia. In fact, his performance was so good that he ended up being chosen as the best player of the season for the red-and-white team.
Everything seems to indicate that this season will continue in the same vein, although Simeone had tried to vary his plans in these first few days. Samuel Lino has already occupied several positions in the first four days, proving to be a very versatile piece. After the victory against Athletic Club , the Brazilian would be clear that he will once again be an undisputed player in the wing.
Samuel Lino is important again
The young Brazilian footballer aims to be one of the undisputed starters in Simeone 's plans for this season. Samuel Lino was already the best player last season , surely at the same level as Axel Witsel in defense. It should be noted that he was called up by Brazil for the Copa América , joining the preseason from the first day.
Something important to note is that Simeone had placed the player in a more advanced position in the first few games. Both Riquelme and Reinildo were rotating in the left wing-back position, while Samuel Lino played as an attacking midfielder. However, it seems that the position where the Argentine coach is most convinced is on the wing-back position, just like last season.
Defensively, the Brazilian has proven to be ahead of Riquelme , while Reinildo has always performed better as a centre-back. Therefore, despite the initial tests, everything points to Samuel Lino returning to the left-back position on a regular basis. In the victory in Bilbao, a very complicated match, Simeone brought the player back to occupy that side of the defence.
A difficult season for Riquelme
The main person affected by this decision by the red-and-white coach is the youth player, as he does not have a specific position in the team. Everything indicates that Riquelme continues to be a potential wing-back in Simeone 's plans, although there is too much competition in that position. The Spaniard has always felt more comfortable near the opposition's area, although the forward line also has numerous players.
Riquelme will therefore have to face a very difficult season in which he will have to make the most of his opportunities on the pitch. The best example he can follow is Ángel Correa , a regular substitute who has become important coming off the bench. If the youth-team player is able to imitate the Argentine, he will end up being important in Simeone 's plans.