Diego Simeone called FC Barcelona possibly the best team ahead of Atlético Madrid’s match at the Metropolitano, Mundo Deportivo reported. The Atlético coach addressed reporters on Saturday, November 7, speaking candidly about his opponents’ attacking talent and tactical evolution under Hansi Flick.
Tackling the Threat of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha
Faced with significant defensive absences, Simeone dismissed the notion that his staff needed to invent special motivational speeches to prepare the backline for Lamine Yamal and Raphinha. Instead, the Argentine manager emphasized collective structure over individual containment.
“We don’t actually look to motivate the defense,” Simeone said. “We aim to try, as a team, to keep working along the line we are on and, well, try to play the match we want.”
Evaluating the Catalan Opposition
When asked why his side historically performs better against Barcelona in two-legged knockout ties than in single league matches, Simeone pointed to the sheer quality of the opposition rather than tactical anomalies. He stated he had no clear explanation for the statistical divide.
“We always play against a very good team, possibly the best, I have no doubts about that, and one that has hugely important talent from the middle of the pitch forward,” Simeone said, noting that the match would be tough and that Atlético must steer the contest toward areas where they can inflict damage.
Simeone Highlights Raphinha Tactical Versatility Under Flick
Analyzing Barcelona’s shift from the previous campaign, Simeone highlighted Raphinha’s versatility and the tactical departure from a traditional center-forward. He praised the Brazilian winger’s work rate, speed, goals, and assists, noting that Flick deploys him differently than last season.
“Now the positioning changes with Dani Olmo, who is different from Raphinha, and therein lies a bit of the difference,” Simeone said. He explained that Raphinha can operate centrally to orchestrate play or drift wide to the left, removing a fixed reference point in the box and making the Blaugrana defense much harder to read.
Squad Management and Julián Álvarez
Addressing questions regarding squad rotation and limited minutes for certain players, Simeone defended his selection choices. He maintained that individuals play as much as they contribute positively to the collective.
“How many are fewer minutes? What are the ideal minutes? I consider that they are playing the minutes they can give us good things and, obviously, I try to get the best out of each player,” Simeone said, adding briefly that he sees Julián Álvarez in very good form.
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