Sagan Tosu vs. Atletico Madrid: Team News, Preview, Live Stream and TV Info
Atletico Madrid commence the second part of their pre-season campaign on Saturday, taking on Sagan Tosu in a friendly at the Tosu Stadium in Japan.
As part of this Asian tour, Atleti will also visit China to take on Shanghai SIPG next week, this pair of games on the other side of the globe coming after consecutive 2-0 victories over Numancia and Real Oviedo back in Spain, which kicked-off the club's pre-season.
For Atletico Madrid and Diego Simeone, Saturday's clash is the latest opportunity to assimilate new faces following a busy period in the summer transfer window.
It's also another chance for us to see the beginnings of evolution in this Atleti outfit, Simeone having challenged his players to "reinvent themselves" this season—a message that's been consistent from the Argentinian all summer after explaining his intention to oversee a major shift in the way Los Colchoneros move the ball.
Date: Saturday, August 1
Time: 11 a.m. BST / 6 a.m. EDT / 7 p.m. local
Venue: Tosu Stadium, Tosu, Japan
TV Info: SKY PerfecTV LIVE (Japan), Canal+ Liga (Spain)
Live Stream: Streaming information for UK and U.S. audiences is not yet available.
Team News
Though Atletico Madrid fans will be eager to see marquee signing Jackson Martinez in action, they'll be forced to wait until the team returns home to Spain.
On Wednesday, the club released a list of the 22 players taken to Japan and China by Simeone, and Martinez was among the major names missing along with Diego Godin, Jose Gimenez, Raul Jimenez and the recently re-signed Filipe Luis.
However, new signings Luciano Vietto, Yannick Carrasco and Stefan Savic will all be in action, as well as young stars such as Angel Correa and Oliver Torres, who are pushing for prominent roles at the Vicente Calderon in 2015-16.
Predicted Lineup
Players to Watch
In the absence of Martinez, former Villarreal star Vietto will likely be afforded the opportunity to lead Atletico's attack alongside Griezmann against Sagan Tosu on Saturday.
Very similar to Griezmann in terms of style, the Argentinian's presence next to the Frenchman will give Simeone's forward setup immense pace, and will provide extremely mobile targets for a possibly youthful midfield led by Koke, Oliver Torres and Saul Niguez.
For Vietto, it's important to make inroads in this pre-season period, given that he's very much a work in progress and faces stiff competition at his position at the Vicente Calderon.
Another man to keep a close eye on is Oliver Torres.
If Simeone is intent on altering the essence of this Atleti outfit, leading an evolution in style that will involve faster ball movement and quicker interchanges, Torres is likely to enjoy a prominent role.
Though the Spaniard isn't in the typical Simeone mould of midfielders, he blends passing vision, close control and excellent technique into a package that will help Atleti's method become more dynamic.
Of course, Koke will be the primary player to drive the shift, and will often be partnered in central midfield by veterans such as Gabi and Tiago. But Torres could be a fine understudy for Koke, and Saturday's outing will be a good chance for the 20-year-old to showcase his suitability for such a role.
Odds (via OddsChecker)
Sagan Tosu: 10/1
Draw: 5/1
Atletico Madrid: 1/5
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