'Cholistas' (once again) just for one day

'Cholistas' (once again) just for one day

Lluís Mascaró

Director de Información Deportiva de Prensa Ibérica

Simeone, durante la rueda de prensa
Simeone, durante la rueda de prensa | sport

Barça fans will be cheering on Simeone's Atletico at Madrid

They will then be hoping to move top with a win at Malaga later

My wife will not like what I am about to write very much. I know that. She already told me off just under a year ago, when Real Madrid played Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final. 

I wanted Diego 'Cholo' Simeone's side to beat Zinedine Zidane's men at the San Siro. Even though Simeone's football is the opposite to Barça, his styles, his values... I declared myself a 'Cholista' for one day. What a ticking off I got! And on top of that Atletico lost on penalties...

But today I go again. And with a little luck, my wife won't read the article. We have to be pragmatic: if there's one game where Madrid can drop points between now and the end of the season it's against Atletico at the Bernabeu. Barça need them to slip up in order to be able to depend on themselves again in La Liga. 

Cholo can lend us a hand. I have confidence in him. I'd bet on him. And even more so after his comments on Friday: "I'm more proud of the draw at Barcelona than the wins against Madrid." Spectacular praise for Barça. And a dig at Madrid. Simeone recognises what the whole world (or at least almost the whole world, with the exception of blind, shameless Madridistas) knows: that Barça are the best team on the planet. 

A Barça that today play two games. One, at 16.15h at the Bernabeu. The other, at 20.45 at La Rosaleda against Malaga. And they need to 'win' them both to move to the top of the table. 

It will be an afternoon and evening for heart attacks, for enjoyment and for suffering in front of the television. Not for, as Luis Enrique jokes, taking a siesta. All Cules will be, without doubt, waiting to see how Atletico do at Real, cheering on Cholo's men. Even if only for (once again) one day...