Giménez back at the Metropolitano

José María Giménez, the Uruguayan centre-back, returns to the stadium where he spent 13 seasons when Atlético host RC Deportivo at 21:00 on Saturday, 24 October, broadcast on Movistar Plus. The 31-year-old played 384 official matches for Atlético and won two LaLiga titles, a Europa League and two Supercopas before joining Deportivo on loan on the final day of the transfer window. He made one condition before leaving: that no fear clause, which would have kept him from facing his former team, be included in his move.

Giménez had several other offers but chose Deportivo, and he has said he will only register that he is a visitor at the ground once he steps off the team bus. Simeone, who coached him for most of those seasons, described the 31-year-old's commitment as enormous and said the club owes him a debt of gratitude.

“I cannot separate him from the opponent we face tomorrow, the person and the man who helped me, who supported me and kept me steady in the dressing room.”

Atlético's form and the Clásico

Atlético have 22 points from nine matchdays, having dropped only five of a possible 27. Barcelona lead LaLiga with 27 points and have won every match so far. Atlético had won six matches in a row across all competitions before a 1-1 draw with Stuttgart in the fourth league-phase matchday of the Champions League, where Julián Álvarez equalised after half-time.

All eyes are also on the Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Camp Nou on Sunday, 25 October. A Barcelona draw or defeat would let Atlético move closer to the top, while a Real Madrid defeat would allow them to pull clear of third place. Atlético host Barcelona in November, and Simeone said the team would compete with them, though the focus now is on Deportivo.

FC Barcelona27

Atlético de Madrid22

FC Barcelona

27 points

Atlético de Madrid

22 points

Data from the article text

Team news and the visitors

Koke and Cuti Romero remain sidelined, and Johnny Cardoso joins them after he left the Champions League match in Germany with pain and a muscle injury. Kang-In Lee is available again after recovering from quadriceps discomfort that kept him out of that game.

Deportivo arrive after five league matches without a win, with two defeats and three draws, the last a 1-1 draw with Levante. They sit three points behind the European places and four points above the relegation zone. It will be their first visit to the Metropolitano since 2018, and they have not won in either of their two previous trips there. Hidalgo said that his side intends to play its own match.

“We are going to try to minimise their strong points and hurt them with our proposals.”

Simeone's tribute and the stakes

Hidalgo told reporters that playing one of the big LaLiga teams is a bonus, and that every Primera División match is a gift the club earned last season. He also noted that Deportivo have not taken a point away at Atlético in almost three decades, while adding that this statistic is partly explained by the years they spent outside the top flight. Simeone praised Deportivo as a brave team that is competing well, and he praised Hidalgo's work with the squad. For Atlético, a sixth consecutive win would close a run of strong results before the Barcelona and Bayern Munich fixtures.