Diego Forlan – The Uruguayan will be Atletico’s biggest threat when Liverpool meet the Spanish team at the Vicente Calderon on Thursday night. Forlan beat such illustrious names as Lionel Messi and David Villa to the Pichichi trophy last season, the award given to La Liga’s top goalscorer. Last campaign also saw the 30 year old given the European Golden Boot for the second time in his career after scoring an impressive 32 times in the league. He last won the award, jointly with Thierry Henry, back in the 2004/05 season during his first season in Spain with Villarreal. Forlan maybe most fondly remembered by Liverpool fans for his failure at Manchester United, but during his time in Spain, he has turned into a world-renowned goalscorer who is a natural finisher with either foot.
Simao Sabrosa – Liverpool tabled a bid for the Portuguese winger a few years ago for £12million but Simao’s then club Benfica raised the asking price and the move broke down. He then was subsequently transferred to the Vicente Calderon in 2007, the same year as Forlan as both the Uruguayan striker and him were bought to fill the void of Anfield-bound Fernando Torres. The 30 year old will be mostly remembered by Liverpool fans for his unstoppable effort that effectively knocked title holders Liverpool out of the Champions League first knockout round stage in the 2005/06 campaign. In his early career, Simao had an abortive two year spell at Barcelona after being purchased for £15million from his first club Sporting Lisbon, he returned to Portugal with Benfica 2001 before returning to Spain at the height of his career 3 years ago. A player with pace and guile, Simao can play on either wing and use both his feet. He is mostly known for his spectacular long range efforts and is an expert free kick taker
Sergio Aguero – The 21 year old Argentinean sensation will fortunately be suspended for the first leg against Liverpool on Thursday after picking up a needless yellow card in the final minutes of the second leg against Valencia in the previous round. Aguero (nicknamed “Kun Aguero” after his resemblance to a Japanese Anime character “Kun Kun”) is only 5ft 7in but his low centre of gravity and great pace make him a big threat around the opposition penalty box. He made his debut for Independiente at only 15 in July 2003 and his stock rose and rose, until he was bought by Atletico for a club record fee of €23million. He did not take long to impress either and in 2007/08 season, he scored 19 goals, the third highest in La Liga and was runner up in the League’s Player of the Year award. Last season he formed a great partnership with Diego Forlan and Kun again was in the top ten goalscorers, while Forlan was awarded with the Pichichi. Speculation has grown over a move to Chelsea for Aguero this summer; he would certainly be a big threat in the Premier League.
Jose Antonio Reyes – After Reyes left England for Spain in 2006, his career had begun to nosedive, until this season. In the summer of 2006, Reyes was exchanged with Julio Bapitista in a loan deal with Real Madrid and he scored 6 league goals during his loan spell in Spain, including two crucial goals against Real Mallorca to seal the La Liga title for Fabio Capello’s side. It was thought a permanent move would be on the cards in the summer but Atletico Madrid beat their city rivals to his signature for €12million. It was a move that the winger would initially regret as he was used sparingly as a substitute, not scoring a single league goal in his first season, behind in the pecking order to Maxi Rodriguez and Simao. He was loaned to Benfica last season where he performed better in the Portuguese league and it was thought a permanent move was likely last summer. However, he returned to Atletico for this season and has looked a completely different player. Displacing Maxi Rodriguez in the team, he has established himself in the starting eleven, and his wing play has been second to none. Dribbling, crossing and set piece taking as well as a couple of goals, the 26 year old has certainly had a resurgence of form.
Jose Manuel Jurado – At 23, Jurado could not be said to be a promising young prospect, but he has emerged from the shadows this season as an excellent attacking midfield player. He has played for Spain at U17, U19 and U21 level, but his career seemed to have stalled after a promising early career. A talented member of Real Madrid’s B team, Jurado was transferred to Atletico for €3million in 2006. It all started with great optimism in his first full season at Atletico, playing 33 games in the absence of long term injury casualties Maxi Rodriguez and Martin Petrov. The arrival of Simao and Reyes in the summer of 2007 however limited the amount of games the young Spaniard played and he hardly got a look in during the 2007/08 campaign. The lack of game time meant he was loaned to Mallorca last campaign and his performances for the island team were top class. He was an excellent playmaker for the Balearic island team and combined with an excellent long range shot and dribbling skills, he finished the club’s second top goalscorer and returned to Atletico with renewed confidence. This season has been a breakthrough season for Jurado, playing in the playmaking role, he signed a new contract in November and has been ever present in the team under new coach Quique Sanchez Flores.
