Simeone stresses Raphinha’s importance ahead of Atlético clash

Atlético will host FC Barcelona at the Metropolitano on Sunday, November 8. Ahead of the fixture, Diego Pablo Simeone again praised Raphinha, while also pointing to the changes in Barça’s attacking patterns. On the eve of the match, Barça lead LaLiga with 30 points from 11 games.

For Simeone, the threat is not limited to Raphinha as a winger. The Argentine coach sees the Brazilian as a player who helps drive the team’s movement. He believes Barça have changed since last season: their attacking players move more, rather than relying on the more central role Lewandowski had at the head of the attack. In that setup, Raphinha is, in Simeone’s view, essential.

“He is an extraordinary footballer who works hard, has pace, scores goals and provides assists,” Simeone said. He also praised the player’s previous season and his bright start to the current campaign, in a different position that he believes Raphinha is handling well. That role, the coach said, gives more options to a team with many variations.

Atlético’s challenge will be to work out Barça’s new patterns. Simeone said Raphinha’s positioning changes what the team had been doing last season, through his movement, his ability to create a numerical advantage in midfield and his runs into the final phase of attacks. “I don’t know what kind of match we’ll see,” he admitted, adding that he hoped the supporters would be close to the team. He also stressed that Atlético would need an outstanding collective effort, with constant cover and intensity, to get a result.

The LaLiga figures show the scale of the task: Barça have 10 wins, no draws and one defeat, with 46 goals scored and 12 conceded. In their last five league games, they have four wins and one defeat. At home, their record is five wins and one loss from six matches; away, they have won all five, scoring 22 and conceding five. Their average is 4.18 goals scored and 1.09 conceded per match. That is the side Atlético will try to contain at the Metropolitano.