According to Mundo Deportivo, Atlético Madrid will travel to face Real Sociedad at 3 a.m. Beijing time (CEST) on Monday, marking their fourth consecutive away match. Head coach Diego Simeone emphasized in his pre-match press conference that the team needs to find balance between their outstanding attacking performance and remaining defensive vulnerabilities.

Atlético Madrid previously suffered consecutive away defeats against Athletic Bilbao and Liverpool. The team performed well in the first half at San Mamés and very well in the opening half hour at Anfield, but this proved insufficient to secure victory. In Bilbao, two quick counterattacks after the break proved decisive against Los Rojiblancos. Against Liverpool, as their physical condition declined and The Reds began dominating the physical battle, the opposition mounted a comeback that Atlético Madrid could not overcome. In both matches, defensive lapses created opportunities for the opposition.

Atlético's plan remains to build play from the back, which was the source of Marcos Llorente's brilliant goal at Anfield, but this approach carries risks. Simeone stressed in yesterday's press conference that the team needs to find balance between attack and defense. To address defensive issues, Romero was brought in. He made his debut at Merseyside and, barring changes, will continue to play in San Sebastián. Romero's arrival allows Simeone to switch to a three-center-back formation, as the performances of Savic and Hermoso have justified this system. In this match, Giuliano and Griezmann are expected to occupy the two wing-back positions.

In midfield, Pablo Barrios will be absent due to a muscle injury. Although the injury is not serious, he will miss several upcoming matches. If he cannot return for the derby, he will be back after the international break. This means Koke will return to the starting lineup, with Llorente moving higher up the pitch. Baena and Lee Kang-in will compete for the other midfield position. Up front, Lookman, who came off the bench at Anfield, will return to the starting lineup. If he is in prime physical condition, he will partner with Julián Álvarez. However, the Argentine striker left training early on Saturday due to discomfort. He will undergo a medical examination to determine whether he will travel with the team. If he is unavailable, Jonathan David could get a starting opportunity.

As for the opposition, Real Sociedad hope to continue their good form after collecting seven points from their opening three matches. In their last league match against Elche, Real Sociedad appeared to be leading 3-0, but the third goal was ruled out by VAR, which identified a prior infringement, resulting in a red card for Jon Martín. Although Elche equalized, Sucic scored in the match's closing stages, helping the team secure an away victory. Regarding injuries and suspensions, manager Imanol Alguacil has only Álvaro Odriozola out with injury, while center-back Jon Martín is suspended. To fill the gap left by the suspended center-back, the Spanish coach called up academy player Luken Betia, who was not in the B team roster. Alguacil stated that the team is in "good condition" and avoided discussing goalkeeper selection after starting Unai Marrero in the last round: "We have two very good goalkeepers. Remiro has performed well in previous matches, but it's important to keep both sharp."

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