Diego Costa, one of the most prolific strikers in la Liga, will start tomorrow in the title-deciding match against Barcelona.
The Spanish striker could not play against Malaga and the negative effects were immediately clear. Atletico struggled to find depth in Malaga’s half and could not finalize. As a result, they drew, although a win for the Rojiblancos would have conferred them the title.
Costa training with teammate Arda Turan
Against Barca however, no slip-ups will be allowed; Atletico Madrid must win, in order to win their first title in 18 years. Simeone does not want to leave anything up to chance and will play Costa from the first minute. Atleti’s coach stated:
“He’s well. He trained without any problems and tomorrow he’ll start.”
Atletico's manager during a press conference
The Spanish striker will be specially surveilled by Barca's defenders
La Liga’s leaders cannot afford to play without their star-striker, who scored 27 goals this season and is only second to Ronaldo and Messi, not exactly the easiest duo to compete against.
Costa trained intensively for the title showdown against Barcelona
Expectations are high for the all-or-nothing game of the season, a must-watch event. Despite Atletico's positive record against the Catalans, with one win and four draws in the last five match-ups, Simeone warns:
"This will be the most complicated game we've played against them."
VIDEO: watch Atletico Madrid's training session before the final clash against Barcelona
