Fermin Lopez: Barcelona must control every detail to overcome Atletico Madrid

Fermin Lopez says Barcelona have a duty to learn from the damage Atletico Madrid inflicted on them last season as they prepare for Sunday’s La Liga meeting at the Metropolitano.

The Barcelona midfielder believes his side must impose their usual style and win in Madrid if they are to finish the season at the top of the table.

Lopez, 23, made his 150th appearance for Barcelona in Tuesday’s 3-0 Champions League victory over Aston Villa. Sunday’s fixture will also mark his 100th La Liga appearance.

In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, to be published in full in Saturday’s digital and print editions, Lopez acknowledged the importance of facing an Atletico side who eliminated Barcelona from two competitions last season.

‘They caused us a lot of damage’

Asked whether Barcelona were particularly motivated by the prospect of playing Atletico, who knocked them out of the Copa del Rey after taking a 4-0 half-time lead last year before also ending their Champions League run, Lopez said: “We are not overly excited. In the end, it is just another match, but we know it is important because they beat us last season and eliminated us twice.”

He added: “We know they are a great team and they will make the match very difficult for us. We have to control every detail, play in our usual way and hopefully win there, because that victory would be extremely important in helping us finish in first place.”

Lopez said Atletico’s success against Barcelona last season had highlighted areas that needed attention.

“Every team has its own style and last year they managed to understand ours to some extent, and they caused us a lot of damage,” he said.

Barcelona’s recent defensive display against Aston Villa offered encouragement, although Lopez warned that his side would still need to manage the game carefully.

“I think we are performing well this year, especially in the last match against Aston Villa, when our defending was excellent,” he said. “These are things we can improve, but we may not always be at our best and that can affect us.

“Even so, we try to control as much as possible, whether that is the pressure from the forwards or the defenders. We work hard to deal with everything the manager asks of us, reduce their strengths and play our own game.”

Memories of the Metropolitano

Lopez’s most recent visit to the Metropolitano ended with a split lip and an early departure from the match. He admitted it ranked among the most difficult moments of his Barcelona career, alongside the game against Inter, particularly because the result denied the team a place in the Champions League semi-finals.

“Yes, along with the Inter match, that was also a difficult game,” he said. “There was the pain of the injury, which required stitches and was extremely painful, especially because we were eliminated from the competition.”

He added: “What hurt me most was that, and thinking that if that ball had gone in the shot that hit Musso perhaps the match would have been different. You start thinking about many things. It was not a good moment, but you learn from everything.”