Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone believes Barcelona “are still the best team in the world” ahead of Sunday’s La Liga showdown at Vicente Calderon.
Barca are unbeaten in three meetings with Atleti this season, the most recent of which came in the Copa del Rey semi-finals, prompting Simeone to admit the Catalans remained the superior side.
“We went high up [the pitch] against them in the Copa del Rey and they scored two goals in 20 minutes,” the Coach said at a Press conference.
“We did it in the second half and it was worth it. Barcelona are still the best team in the world and it depends on what they want to do.
“Now they have the enthusiasm of Madrid’s defeat and are fighting for the League, so whether [we defend] five metres back or forward, I’m expecting the best Barcelona.
“We’re focused on the Barcelona game and not looking beyond it. They’re moderately-direct rivals for third place or, if the League allows, something better, but it’s still very early.
“Last season showed us that with 10 games left, losing two of them can change everything. A lot of the League remains and there are still many matches to be played.
“It’s very difficult to compete like they’ve done for the past decade. With Luis Enrique winning eight trophies, they’ve competed at the highest level and a bad game like against Paris can happen to anyone.
“We had three extraordinary halves against them [in the Copa] and that still wasn’t enough, so they’re better.”
