Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has made no secret of the fact that he’s a big fan of Barcelona captain Raphinha and has showered the Brazilian with more praise ahead of Sunday’s big game between the two sides.
Raphinha heads into the match as La Liga’s top scorer on 15 goals and Simeone says he’s been incredible in his new role as a No. 9 for Hansi Flick’s side.
“I’ll say it again, as I said several times last season: for me, he’s an extraordinary footballer with work rate, speed, goals, and
assists,” he told a pre-match press conference.
“The truth is, he had an incredible season last year, and now he’s started brilliantly playing in a different position, which he also does very well and which gives a team with many options a lot of tools.”
Simeone also spoke about how Barcelona have changed this season following the departure of Robert Lewandowski in the summer.
“If we have to pinpoint what’s changed compared to last season, it’s that before with Lewandowski they had a more positional striker,” he explained.
“Now, the positioning changes with Dani Olmo, who is different from Raphinha, and that’s where the difference lies: Olmo can drop into the attacking midfield role to link up play.
“The team has lost its focal point because of Lewandowski, and defending is more complex because Raphinha isn’t the same as a traditional number nine in the box.”
Barcelona know a win against Atletico on Sunday will see them move five points clear of Simeone’s side, while a home victory will propel Los Colchoneros above the champions in the table.
