Luis Suarez was hailed as "amazing" by Diego Simeone after firing Atletico Madrid seven points clear at the top of LaLiga.
A late penalty was Suarez's second strike of the game and secured a 2-1 win over Eibar on Thursday night, taking the striker's haul to 11 goals in 14 league games.
Such has been the Uruguayan's impact since arriving from Barcelona, it even sparked a post-match question to Simeone as to whether he might be the coach's best signing.
In a little over nine years in charge of Atletico, Simeone has brought a host of notable players to the club, with Jan Oblak and Antoine Griezmann among them.
Simeone recognises Suarez's impact, but he was reluctant to compare the signings he has made during his reign.
"I don't stop in mid-season to think about such an argument," Simeone said. "He is amazing and we are very happy that he is with us.
"He is a great player with great characteristics. He knew how to play the game and gave us an important victory with a great defensive effort from the team."
The handsome lead that Atletico now hold over second-placed Real Madrid makes them favourites to land a first LaLiga title since 2013-14. They even have a game in hand.
But rather than take glee from toiling rivals Real Madrid exiting the Copa del Rey to third-tier minnows Alcoyano on Wednesday night, Simeone said such a result served as a reminder there are no certainties in football.
"It makes us pay attention and understand that football is more complex every day," Simeone said.
"Barca also won [against Cornella] in extra time ... Bayern [Munich] also lost in their cup, football is not simple.
"The opposition compete, they do it well and it makes us always be alert. Football is wonderful because it always gives you the chance to win."
Suarez, who sits third on Barcelona's list of all-time leading scorers, was a remarkable close-season acquisition by Atletico.
He has now scored 12 times in LaLiga against Eibar, more than he has managed against any other team.
The one-time Ajax and Liverpool frontman has looked sharp for his new team and puts his success down to the warm reception he was given, having at one stage appeared reluctant to leave Barcelona.
"I'm very happy. The team has been very welcoming," Suarez said. "They make me feel at home. I try to help the team the best I can, but we are all doing it too.
"We are showing everyone that we want to fight for important things.
"We need to keep working. We need to keep fighting for all the goals we set at the beginning of the season."
After Falcao and Griezmann, Suarez becomes new Atletico goal hero
It will be how well he sustains his early form that dictates how Suarez is eventually remembered at Atletico, but there can be no denying he has made a spectacular start.
He is averaging one goal every 92.18 minutes in LaLiga and has a 25.58 per cent shot conversion rate in the competition.
No player with more than one league goal during the Simeone era has a better average minute-per-goal record than Suarez, although Radamel Falcao comes close, with his 43 LaLiga goals under the Argentinian coach coming at one every 109.58 minutes.
Of all the players with more Atletico goals than Suarez in Simeone's time as coach, only Kevin Gameiro (27.14 per cent) has a better shot conversion percentage.
Suarez has so far had 13 goalscoring opportunities defined by Opta as 'big chances' and has gobbled up eight of those for an immensely healthy 61.54 per cent strike rate, better than any Atletico player with 10 goals or more in Simeone's time.
Griezmann remains Atletico's LaLiga leading scorer during Simeone's tenure, with 94 goals from 180 games, snaffling 53.04 per cent of his 115 big chances with an overall shot conversion rate of 21.22 per cent.
Only across one season of his Barcelona career did Suarez score at a faster rate in LaLiga than he has to date for Atletico.
In the 2015-16 campaign he plundered 40 goals from 35 games at a clip of one every 78.75 minutes on the pitch.
He eclipsed Lionel Messi in the scoring stakes that season as Barcelona edged out Madrid and Atletico in a three-team title battle.
This term, Suarez, who turns 34 on Sunday, is threatening to barge the Clasico giants out of contention and help Atletico make it a one-horse race.
Gabbia, Pisilli and Maldini named in Italy's Nations League squad
Luciano Spalletti has handed four players their senior call-up to the Italy national team ahead of their Nations League fixtures next week.
Italy take on Belgium and Israel in the next round of games, hoping to build on their impressive start in Group A2 after winning their opening two games which included a 3-1 win over France.
Milan defender Matteo Gabbia has been included after an impressive run of performances at centre-back under new head coach Paulo Fonseca.
Gabbia is also the first player from the Rossoneri to be named in the Italy squad in almost 600 days, with Sandro Tonali, who joined Newcastle in 2023, the last Milan representative to feature for the Azzurri.
There was also a place in the squad for Monza's Daniel Maldini, who could follow in the footsteps of his father Paolo, and grandfather Cesare, both former Italy captains.
Maldini has one goal and one assist in seven appearances in all competitions this season, and comes in for Lazio's Matteo Zaccagni.
Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio has also been given a first call-up to the senior side, replacing the injured Alex Meret of Napoli.
Roma's Niccolo Pisilli was also named in the squad, replacing Atlanta's Marco Brescianini, who has also suffered a recent injury set-back.
There were five Premier League representatives named in Spalletti's 23-man squad on Friday, with Guglielmo Vicario, Riccardo Calafiori, Caleb Okoli, Destiny Udogie and Tonali also included.
However, there was no space for Liverpool's Federico Chiesa, who did not feature in the Reds' Champions League win over Bologna in midweek.
Italy squad: Michele Di Gregorio (Juventus), Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG), Guglielmo Vicario (Spurs), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Raoul Bellanova (Atalanta), Alessandro Buongiorno (Napoli), Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal), Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Matteo Gabbia (Milan), Caleb Okoli (Leicester), Destiny Udogie (Tottenham Hotspur), Nicolo Fagioli (Juventus), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Niccolo Pisilli (Roma), Samuele Ricci (Torino), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle United), Moise Kean (Fiorentina), Daniel Maldini (Monza), Giacomo Raspadori (Napoli), Mateo Retegui (Atalanta).
Colorado Rapids head coach Chris Armas believes his side can break into the top four of the Western Conference ahead of facing the Seattle Sounders this weekend.
The Rapids currently occupy sixth in the standings and have already qualified for the playoffs, but are just three points behind Real Salt Lake in fourth.
Armas’ side have won just one of their last four MLS fixtures, though, with their latest defeat coming at the hands of the LA Galaxy, despite Connor Ronan scoring the opener.
“We are looking forward to Saturday. We’re looking forward to getting right back out there on the pitch here at home in our quest for a top four finish,” Armas said.
“That’s what is on our minds right now. We’re looking forward to Seattle coming here, another top team.
“I’m really proud of my team and how they are going for it. We knew we were facing a really good team who are in first place. It was not the result we wanted, but that is football when you play good teams, the margins are thin, and it is a game we can learn from.”
Seattle, meanwhile, come into the encounter brimming with confidence having now gone five games unbeaten, most recently sweeping aside 10-man Vancouver Whitecaps away from home.
The Sounders are three points ahead of this weekend’s opponents but know a victory is a must if they are to remain in the top four ahead of the playoffs.
With just two games left of the regular season, head coach Brian Schmetzer was not worried about the workload on his players, insisting rotation could be required this weekend.
“If you look at the calendar and you see after this next game, we have a week off before we play Portland, so the team that is playing extended minutes is going to have plenty of opportunity to recover,” Schmetzer said.
“We’re going to go to Colorado and make sure we don’t put anybody at an injury risk and put a strong team out against a very good side.
“Then we’ll play out the rest of the season how we see fit.”
BIG ROAD DUB pic.twitter.com/Dkl4MRKVvX
— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) October 3, 2024
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Colorado Rapids – Djordje Mihailovic
Mihailovic’s assist on Wednesday took him to 23 goal contributions this season (11 goals, 12 assists), equalling the single-season club record set by Diego Rubio in 2022.
The American is the only player in Rapids history with at least 10 goals and 10 assists in a single season.
Seattle Sounders - Albert Rusnak
Rusnak scored a goal and recorded two assists in Seattle’s win over Vancouver.
It marked the third time in his last 11 regular season appearances that Rusnak had a goal and an assist in a match after not doing so in any of his previous 93 appearances dating back to 2021.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
The Sounders have recorded 22 regular season wins over the Rapids, more than against any other team since they joined the MLS in 2009. In fact, the only MLS team with more regular season wins over a single opponent in that time is Real Salt Lake, also against Colorado (24).
Including their victory over Vancouver, the Sounders have won 11 of their last 15 regular season matches (D2 L2). This is the third different campaign in which Seattle has won 11 or more times in a 15-game span in league play, joining 2011 and 2018.
Colorado come into the game off the back of a 3-1 defeat to LA Galaxy, their first such result on home soil in 10 matches. It was the first time the Rapids lost a home match by multiple goals since a 3-1 defeat to Nashville SC in May 2022.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Colorado Rapids – 35.1%
Draw – 26%
Seattle Sounders – 39%
'Winning is the best way to defend Man City', says Guardiola
Pep Guardiola believes the best way to defend Manchester City amid their current hearing is by winning games.
An independent hearing into City's 115 charges for alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial rules began last month.
The alleged breaches relate to a period between 2009 and 2018, and City were charged and referred to an independent commission in February 2023 after a four-year investigation.
City strongly denies the charges.
If found guilty, the club could face huge fines, points deductions and possibly even relegation from the top-flight.
Despite the severity of the potential punishment, Guardiola insists his trust in the club remains unbroken.
"I'm part of this club, deep inside of my bones and the best way to defend the club is winning games and doing my job as best as possible," Guardiola said on Friday.
"We cannot misunderstand why I am here, I am the manager, the person at the club who talks more through all the media, to send messages to fans.
"And, of course, I am going to defend my club. I trust [them], since the owner, since the chairman for the relation, the CEO, and all the people working here for many many years.
"I know them quite well, much more than any of you. The best way to defend is by doing our job the best, everyone working here have their own responsibility.
"The rest, of course, there are situations in the eight or nine years, it always is there. Some of them expected, some of them more tough to deal with, but it is what it is.
"No complaints and you do what you have to do. I'm part of this club, not just the manager. I love this club, and it will always be that way."
Guardiola has been at City for nine years, winning six Premier League titles, including the last four in a row, two FA Cups, four EFL Cups, the Champions League, a UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
He is currently in the last year of his contract and has hinted in recent months that his time at City may soon come to an end.
The fans are set to unveil a banner saying "We want you to stay" during their game against Fulham at the Etihad on Saturday, and the head coach was touched by the gesture.
"They have to bring me the bill. I have to pay for the banner. I don't want to spend money for that reason," he added.
"What can I say? Thank you so much, I fell in love since the first day I arrived here, let's see.
"When it's going to happen, it's going to happen."
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