Hansi Flick's Barcelona has received glowing praise from one of its direct rivals. Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone called the Blaugrana's football 'barbaric' and said it looks like 'another sport' following his team's win over Real Madrid.
Simeone made the comments to ESPN shortly after his side beat Real Madrid 2-1 at the Metropolitano. That victory solidified Atlético in second place in La Liga, though they remain five points behind the leaders. "They play barbarically, it seems they play a different sport than the one we play," said 'Cholo' about Barcelona.
The Argentine manager highlighted the high press and attacking risk of Flick's team. "They press you in your own half, they take time away from you, and they are not afraid to take risks and to concede a goal," he explained. He also pointed to the impact of figures like Raphinha, the competition's top scorer with twelve goals in seven games, and Lamine Yamal, who has seven.
Barcelona leads the standings with a perfect record of seven wins and 21 points, thanks to an attack that has scored 31 goals. Their next match is against Getafe at the Camp Nou on October 10th, a game for which the squad is missing players like Andreas Christensen and Roony Bardghji. Fans can check the full schedule on our fixtures page and the squad status on squad.
Simeone was definitive in his assessment of the title race: "They are better at this moment, the best team in the League for what they are showing." A recognition that comes as Barcelona looks to extend its run of five consecutive wins, the latest a 1-3 victory over Sevilla.
First reported at Mundo Deportivo
