Ahead of their Copa del Rey semi-final showdown, Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has praised his Barcelona counterpart, Hansi Flick.
The match is set to take place later today, Tuesday, at the Montjuic Stadium.
In their previous encounter this season, Atletico Madrid emerged victorious with a 2-1 win, showcasing the better performance of the two teams.
Barcelona aims to secure a second title this season, having already claimed the Supercopa de Espana earlier.
Simeone spoke highly of Barcelona’s head coach, Hansi Flick, during his pre-match press conference. The Argentine tactician credited Flick for the Catalan club’s strong form this season, saying (via Barca Blaugranes):
“I think the strength of this Barça is the coach. He has the ability to transmit to the players what he is proposing. I believe that Flick’s arrival has done Barça a lot of good. We have an idea of the game we want to play, and we will discuss it with the boys beforehand. I really like the way the opponent plays, with a strong defense and the high line they maintain.
“When you face big teams, there are times when you will struggle, and you have to be prepared to suffer. There will be good and bad moments, just like against Real Madrid. You need to be aware that different moments will arise during the same match.”
The winners of this semi-final clash will face either Real Madrid or Real Sociedad in the final over two legs.
