Flick says Barca must make Atleti statement
Hansi Flick said the time has come for Barcelona to lay down a marker by beating another of LaLiga's standout teams, ahead of its clash against Atletico Madrid.
Atleti travels to Camp Nou with just three points separating the teams in the LaLiga standings.
Barca is top with 34 points from 14 games, having overcome Alaves 3-1 on Sunday. Real Madrid is second with Villarreal in third, and Simeone's side round out the top four.
Flick's team was beaten 2-1 by its EL Clasico rival in October, and has also finished on the losing side against Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea in the Champions League this season.
The manager believes a win over a European heavyweight would help his side build some positive momentum.
"It would be a good time to win our first game against one of the top teams," Flick said. "We have to play at our highest level. They are one of the best teams in Europe.
"And they increased their quality with the signings they made in the summer market. They are a fantastic team in defence and attack. I like to watch them play.
"But we have quality, and we have to show it. We know that we are playing against a fantastic team, with a great coach.
"I'm happy, we can recover our best level. The other day, we made a lot of mistakes. We have the quality to control the game better, and we have to raise our level."
Atleti is LaLiga's form team after winning six straight matches, culminating in Sunday's 2-0 victory over Real Oviedo, with Alexander Sorloth scoring twice.
Asked about Flick's lofty praise for his side, Simeone said: "I never give my opinion on what others think, everyone has their thoughts.
"We continue to work on improving as a team. The margin for improvement is much more than what we have already shown."
