It took Atletico Madrid’s head coach Diego Simeone a matter of seconds, after discovering Luis Suarez might be available from Barcelona last summer, to urge his employers to pounce.
Deal done, it took Suarez two minutes to provide his first assist as an Atletico player, quarter of an hour to open his goalscoring account, and less than 20 minutes to register his first brace in an Atletico jersey.
From that start, it has taken far less than five months for Suarez to become a barometer of Atletico’s state of wellbeing. For most of the time, they have soared together. Suarez is, jointly with his old ally Lionel Messi, top scorer in Spain’s Primera Division. Atletico are its leaders.
The snag, as Simeone’s team prepare for a demanding tie against Chelsea in the Champions League, is that Suarez’s goalscoring run has stalled over recent weeks. So have Atletico.
When Suarez registered his fourth brace of the season in the 4-2 win at Cadiz at the end of January, it put Atletico 10 points clear at the summit.
Four matchdays later, the lead over Real Madrid has been whittled to three points, albeit with a match in hand. Atleti have dropped seven points of their last 12 and Suarez has gone three games – his longest drought yet at his new club – without a goal.
The veteran warrior came close on Saturday, at home to Levante, striking the post with a direct free-kick. But Atletico were 1-0 down by then, and a late Levante goal confirmed a first home loss for Simeone's team since 2019. Their fortress record at the Metropolitano has been dented, though it would be no ally tonight anyway, the 'home' leg against Chelsea having been moved to Bucharest because of public health restrictions on travel from Britain to Spain.
There will be no spectators for either leg, which at least spares Suarez his customary hostile reception from Chelsea followers. There is history there, from Suarez’s time with Liverpool.
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Southampton v Chelsea ratings
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SOUTHAMPTON RATINGS: Alex McCarthy - 7: Wasn’t until towards end of first half that he was called into serious action to save a Zouma header. Sent wrong way by Mount for penalty. One block to deny Azpilicueta in second half but Spaniard was well offside anyway. For all Chelsea's possession, McCarthy did not have many saves to make. Booked for time wasting. EPA -
Jan Bednarek - 7: Centre-half playing at right-back up against a dangerous combination in Alonso and Werner but should be pleased with his efforts. Important interception at start of second half to break up dangerous Chelsea attack. Getty -
Jannik Vestergaard - 8: Southampton’s key man at the back and, despite constant Chelsea pressure, did not give Abraham a kick in first half. Saw looping header crash off crossbar with 20 minutes left. AFP -
Mohammed Salisu - 7: In at centre-half as Saints were forced to reshuffle defensive line-up and looked solid enough, helping keep Abraham very quiet. Caught in possession after break that sent Chelsea off on dangerous counter but also made a few important blocks and showed great composure when called upon. AFP -
Ryan Bertrand - 6: Left-back playing against former club saw his attacking tendencies restricted until run and cross earned Saints their first corner after nearly 70 minutes. Solid effort defensively. PA -
Moussa Djenepo - 7: Caught in possession in first 10 minutes allowing Chelsea to launch dangerous counter-attack and failed to give Bednarek adequate support early on down the left. Much improved as match wore on. On the receiving end of a couple of nasty challenges by Werner and Kante, amongst others, and will have been battered and bruised in the dressing room afterwards. Some lovely tricks and turns in a lively second-half show. AFP -
James Ward-Prowse - 5: Little chance to show-off his undoubted attacking skills, whether from open play or dead ball. Cynical foul on Mount gave Chelsea free-kick on edge of area that Alonso wasted. AFP -
Oriol Romeu - 6: Another Saint playing against old club in what was his 200th Premier League game but was left for dead by Werner in first few minutes and generally struggled against dominant Chelsea midfield in first 45 minutes. Improved after break. EPA -
Takumi Minamino - 7: Superb feint left Mendy and Azpilicueta on their backsides before calm finish with outside of boot to put Saints ahead completely against the run of play after 33 minutes. Not much else of note from the Liverpool loan man but another goal for his new club. EPA -
Danny Ings - 4: A frustrated and isolated figure up front in first half and would have been surprised as anyone when Southampton went ahead. A striker’s challenge on Mount gifted Chelsea a penalty and the equaliser after break. A rare off day for the striker. EPA -
Nathan Redmond - 6: Like rest of Saints’ team, had not figured as attacking threat before his perfect through-ball put Minamino through for opening goal. A couple of decent surging runs in second half but not at his best. PA -
SUBS: Nathan Tella – (On for Minamino 80’) N/A. EPA -
Che Adams – (On for Ings 85’) N/A. Reuters -
Dan Nlundulu – (On for Redmond 90+3’) N/A. PA -
CHELSEA RATINGS: Edouard Mendy - 6: First-choice goalkeeper back between the sticks after Kepa’s run-out against Newcastle. First contribution of match was picking himself up off the deck to retrieve ball out of net after Minamino’s goal. Left a flat-footed spectator when Vestergaard’s header hit the bar. AFP -
Cesar Azpilicueta - 6: Left on the deck after committing himself with desperate lunge trying, and failing, to stop Minamino scoring. None of the attacking bursts forward that have characterised his return to the team since Tuchel’s arrival. AP -
Kurt Zouma - 6: One beautiful diagonal ball out from the back to Alonso after 20 minutes and was denied equaliser when McCarthy turned his goal-bound header round the post. Poor positioning and communication with Azpilicueta for Minamino goal. AFP -
Antonio Rudiger - 7: Ambitious strike from 30 metres out straight at McCarthy was only Chelsea’s second shot in opening half hour despite dominating possession. Found Ings, and Southampton's attackers generally, little problem and must be wondering how his team did not win game. Reuters -
Reece James - 6: Chosen at right wingback ahead of Hudson-Odoi and supplied Alonso with great cross in first five minutes that the Spaniard fired wide. Tuchel seemed frustrated with his efforts throughout the game and would blaze great chance way over bar on half-volley after good work by Mount with five minutes left. EPA -
N’Golo Kante - 7: Back in the team straight into the familiar groove in midfield of breaking up opposition attacks but also quick to support Chelsea attacks, particularly in first half. Lucky to escape punishment for poor late challenge on Djenepo though. EPA -
Mateo Kovacic - 6: Dominated centre of midfield with Kante in opening 45, with one stand-out pass down left to Alonso in first half. But was more sloppy in possession as second half went on, giving away a needless corner with one poor touch and was take off with 15 minutes to go. AP -
Marcos Alonso - 7: Volleyed first chance of game wide of target when he should have at least forced a save out of McCarthy – much to frustration of manager Tuchel. Always looking to push forward and link-up with Werner. Booked for tug on Djenepo. Reuters -
Mason Mount - 8: Always busy, always a threat running at Saints defence in first half but Chelsea lacked an attacking spearhead. Moved into more advanced role after Abraham went off at half-time and was excellent from then on. Too quick for Ings to earn Chelsea penalty that he converted confidently himself. The heartbeat of everything positive about Chelsea at St Mary's. PA -
Timo Werner - 5: Showed Romeu a clean pair of heels after lovely turn of pace in first couple of minutes but was sloppy with final ball and another Chelsea player who should have been cautioned for a bad challenge on Djenepo in the first half. Failed to make use of space down left, never looked like scoring and Tuchel will need much more from the German attacker if they want to secure a top-four spot. -
Tammy Abraham - 4: Disappointing afternoon when he failed to trouble Saints backline. Hooked at half-time with what appeared to be an ankle injury, but could easily have been take off solely for his performance. AP -
SUBS: Callum Hudson-Odoi – (On for Abraham 46’) 4: Given a long talk by Tuchel on sideline before coming on but manager was clearly hoping for a lot more from midfield substitute who was brutally taken off himself with 13 minutes to go. Getty -
Hakim Ziyech – (On for Hudson-Odoi 77’) N/A. Getty -
Jorginho – (On for Kovacic 77’) N/A.
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Famously, he was the spearhead of the Liverpool whose 11-match winning run took them to the cusp of the 2013/14 Premier League title until a 2-0 defeat at Anfield by Chelsea, with two fixtures left, allowed Manchester City to leapfrog Liverpool. Notoriously, the previous season, Suarez bit Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic while challenging for the ball, one of three biting incidents in the Uruguayan’s chequered career.
At Atletico, as in his four years at Barcelona, he has been less of a magnet for controversies. But the competitive edge remains razor-sharp at 34, and Suarez has become very quickly the emblem of Atletico’s combative, feisty character under Simeone, in the way Diego Costa used to be. Suarez’s privilege is to have the gifted Joao Felix as a foil, Thomas Lemar in support, and, since the winter transfer window, the French striker Moussa Dembele as possible partner.
Joao Felix, Lemar and Dembele came out of post-Covid self-isolation last week, and Simeone is relieved to have them in Bucharest. He is without key men, though, in defence, with Kieran Trippier serving a suspension and Jose Maria Gimenez out with a muscular injury he sustained against Levante. Yannick Carrasco, the Belgian winger, is also absent.
Thomas Tuchel, who will take charge of his first European game as Chelsea head coach, anticipates “a big test” and he revealed his admiration for Suarez, who might have joined Tuchel’s then club, Paris Saint-Germain when Barcelona effectively told Suarez to leave Camp Nou back in August.
“We were interested,” said Tuchel, “because he’s one of the best forwards in world football, a born striker with the mentality that only strikers have, to show his will, intensity and anger to score, score and score. What a mentality, what a player! We know his qualities and will try and stop him.”
Tuchel confirmed Chelsea’s senior defender Thiago Silva is injured and will not be part of the plan to stymie Suarez. And also that Callum Hudson-Odoi has travelled to Romania, having been criticised by his coach for a poor half-hour in the weekend’s 1-1 draw against Southampton.
Hudson-Odoi came on as a substitute, was then substituted, and Tuchel outlined what had disappointed him – “I was not happy with his attitude” – with teammates present.
“We decided to speak to him in front of the group,” explained Tuchel. “Was it the right decision? I don't know. We did it in front of a group because it is not a big thing." For a coach less than a month into a new job, it is no small thing either.
