The La Liga title race for this season is turning out to be quite an interesting affair, with three teams, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid all competing for the win with very little to separate them at the top of the table.
To make things even more interesting, these three teams are also among the four teams still fighting for the Copa del Rey. For the semi-final tie, the Blaugranes will be facing the Colchoneros, while the Merengues will be facing Real Sociedad.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico side beat the Catalans in the last game before the Christmas break in La Liga but throughout his tenure as the mattress makers’ head coach, which started in 2012, the Argentine tactician has not been able to eliminate Barcelona in a Cup game.
But in addition to this record, the form that the Blaugranes are showing was another factor that will make Simeone quite wary about the upcoming semi-final tie.
This factor seemed to be in his mind, as Mundo Deportivo reports that he once again showered praise on the Catalan side as he addressed a press conference ahead of his side’s league game against Celta Vigo:
“A rival that, as I said, seems to me to be the one that plays the best in La Liga. Their numbers speak for themselves about what Barcelona is achieving.”
This is not the first time that Simeone has spoken highly of Barcelona in the last few weeks. One can argue that this might be a tactic to avert some pressure ahead of a game with such high stakes, but there is also no doubt that Hansi Flick’s side has been the best side in Spain this season, and one of the best sides in Europe as well.
But, as Atletico Madrid showed in their last La Liga encounter, they can still spring a surprise, and this makes the upcoming semi-final tie all the more exciting.
