Simeone says Alvarez is ready for Barcelona challenge as Atletico prepare for attacking threat

Diego Simeone says Julian Alvarez is fit and ready to face Barcelona as Atletico Madrid prepare for a difficult La Liga meeting on 08 November 2026.

The Atletico manager acknowledged the strength of Barcelona’s attack, but said his side’s priority was to maintain the standards they have shown in recent weeks rather than devise special motivation for the defence.

“Are we trying to motivate the defence to deal with Barcelona’s attacking power? We are not looking to motivate the defensive line; we want to maintain the level we have shown recently,” Simeone said at his pre-match news conference.

Atletico have enjoyed greater success than Barcelona in knockout meetings between the two sides, but Simeone said he could not identify a particular reason for that record.

“We are facing a very good team, in fact without any doubt the best, and they have enormous attacking strength from midfield through to the forward line,” he said.

Simeone also rejected comparisons between the current Barcelona side and Pep Guardiola’s former team.

“I am not here to compare the two teams. I am focused on preparing for tomorrow’s match and producing our best performance for our supporters,” he said.

On Johnny Cardoso, Simeone confirmed that the midfielder had made good progress and would rejoin the squad before the game.

“He has worked very well and will join the team tomorrow. We will then decide which player starts the match,” he said.

Asked how many minutes Jonathan David and Kang-in Lee should play, Simeone said both were currently being used for as long as they could make a positive contribution.

“I believe they are playing the number of minutes in which they can currently add something to the team,” he said.

Simeone gave a brief but positive update on Alvarez’s condition, saying: “He is fine and in very good shape.”

The Argentine also singled out Raphinha for praise, describing the Barcelona forward as an exceptional player who contributes through his work rate, goals and assists. He added that Raphinha had made an impressive start to the season while operating in a different position.

Simeone said Barcelona’s basic approach had not changed significantly from last season. The Catalan club continue to press high, recover possession regularly and carry a major threat in front of goal.

“Lewandowski was more of a striker who stayed in the penalty area, while Olmo sometimes played last season, but they are completely different from Raphinha,” he said.

“Barcelona also have Gordon on the left. Defending becomes more complicated when you face a player like Raphinha, who does not stay fixed in the penalty area.”

Atletico expect to spend long periods under pressure but believe they can compete with their opponents.

“We are facing a very good team, and we know we will suffer for a large part of the match,” Simeone said.

He added that Raphinha’s positioning was the main difference from Barcelona’s performances last season, while admitting he did not know exactly how the game would unfold.

Simeone ended by calling for the support of Atletico’s fans, saying their players respond differently when the crowd is close behind them.