Why Conor Gallagher made Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone go absolutely crazy, it sums former Chelsea man up
Conor Gallagher did something in Atletico Madrid’s 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Saturday that made Diego Simeone go mad on the touchline.
The Atleti head coach signed Gallagher last summer in a £34 million deal as Joao Felix simultaneously moved to Chelsea.
It was unpopular with many Blues fans as they thought the academy graduate had plenty more to offer at Stamford Bridge.
It now appears that Gallagher has settled in well at the Metropolitano Stadium and Simeone did not hide his feelings on the midfielder in their last match.
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Conor Gallagher impressed Diego Simeone in Atletico Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao
Gallagher was benched for Atleti’s home game against Bilbao on Saturday, with Rodrigo De Paul and Pablo Barrios starting together in central midfield.
The Englishman then replaced winger Samuel Lino in the 59th minute as Simeone’s team searched for an opening goal.
Ex-Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez scored seven minutes later which gave Los Colchoneros something to hold on to.
Gallagher was quiet for the majority of his second-half cameo until the 93rd minute when he closed down Bilbao’s central defender and made an excellent sliding challenge.
The 25-year-old quickly returned to his feet and charged down another Bilbao player before an even better slide tackle put the ball out for a goal kick.
The crowd cheered the efforts but the reactions of Simeone and assistant coach Nelson Vivas were far more spectacular.
The pair could not contain their excitement on the sidelines as they gesticulated towards the players and supporters with immense passion.
Conor Gallagher’s 2024/25 season so far
Gallagher has played 33 times for Atletico Madrid this season in La Liga, the Champions League and Copa del Rey combined. He has scored twice and provided four assists in 1,769 minutes of action.
He would surely rather nail down a place in Simeone’s starting eleven but at least he’s consistently involved even if it’s coming off the bench, like against Bilbao.
The midfielder has played centrally and on the left as his versatility continues to be one of his most impressive attributes.
As for England, Gallagher featured in England’s last three Nations League fixtures against Finland, Greece and Ireland, respectively, but not in the trio before that.
He is expected to be part of former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel’s inaugural squad for the March international break.
from Latest Chelsea News and Updates - The Chelsea Chronicle https://ift.tt/LxN87DC
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