Diego Simeone did not hide his admiration for Barcelona’s performance following Atlético Madrid’s 2-1 victory over Real Madrid at the “Metropolitano.”
The “Roji-Blancos” overtook their city rivals in the standings and left them six points behind league-leading Barcelona, with the Argentine coach speaking highly of the Catalans.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
“It’s as if they’re playing a different sport than the one we play. They didn’t have a ‘No. 9,’ and suddenly Raphinha showed up and scored 12 goals, while Yamal, if I’m not mistaken, has seven. They press you in your own half and don’t give you any time. “Right now, they’re the best,” Simeone said, describing the intensity and effectiveness with which Barcelona plays.
Rafinha is one of the key players behind the “Blaugrana’s” impressive start. When he reached 11 goals, he matched Lionel Messi’s tally from the 2017–18 season, while the only player to have a better tally at that same point in the season was Cristiano Ronaldo with 13 goals in 2014–15. In fact, the Brazilian didn’t stop there, bringing his total to 12 goals.
Lamine Yamal’s presence has also been crucial, as he continues to break records despite his young age. With his two assists against Sevilla, he reached 51 in 159 appearances for Barcelona across all competitions, while becoming the youngest player in LaLiga— at least since the 2013–14 season, to reach 50 assists, at the age of 19 years and 68 days, surpassing Vinícius Júnior’s record.
*photo source: AP
