Radomir Antic: Umtiti should start ahead of Mascherano vs. Atletico
The former manager of both clubs has given his views on Wednesday's big game in Barcelona
Ex-Barcelona and Atletico Madrid manager Radomir Antic would pick Samuel Umtiti over Javier Mascherano when his two former sides meet at Camp Nou on Wednesday.
In an interview on Esports Cope, Antic gave his reasons for betting on the French youngster over the experienced Argentine.
"It's clear that Mascherano's suffering from the FIFA virus. You can tell he's tired and not as fresh," he said.
"But you have to keep in mind that he's a player who also brings leadership and is important for the team.
"On Wednesday, though, I think Umtiti would give the team more balance. Atletico have a lot of speed and quick transitions and Umtiti's better set to defend against that."
ATLETICO's CHANCES
Antic feels that Atletico have undergone a transformation which could give them the victory against Barça.
He said: "I saw them against Sporting and they played with high pressing without allowing counter attacks.
"It surprised me. I don't know what forwards they will choose against Barça after such a good performance."
Atletico haven't won at Camp Nou for more than a decade, with Fernando Torres and Gabi on the winning side that day and Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi the losers.
Diego Simeone is working on the possiblity of selecting an attacking line-up in search of the three points, but Antic would be more wary of Luis Enrique's front three.
He added: "Barça won with total authority against Celtic and Leganes and may have more energy than Atletico.
"It's a pleasure to watch the trident warm-up, let alone play. It's a credit to the manager to see these three great players capable of being part of the group and scoring goals."
Topics with the letter
