While the pressure on Barcelona increases due to the deficit behind Real Madrid, Frenkie de Jong tries to remain as calm as possible. Lesser results against Atlético Madrid in the recent past do not concern him on the way to the new confrontation with Los Colchoneros.
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Before the start of the fifteenth round in La Liga, Barça is trailing by four points behind both Real and Girona. Atlético, like Xavi's team, has 31 points, but they have played one less game.
Currently, the most pressure in the title race rests on the shoulders of the Catalans. Atlético, on the other hand, is on the rise. The victory against Feyenoord last Tuesday marked the eleventh win in the last thirteen matches for the Madrid team.
"Atlético remains a team with a lot of quality," says De Jong on the club's website. "They have a large squad with many top players. It's always tough and intense against them. But to be honest, we are preparing for this match just like any other match. We are going for the win," the Dutch international says stoically.
The 26-year-old playmaker recalls positive memories from last season's home game against Atlético, which Barça won 1-0. "And that created a gap of nine or twelve points, I don't remember exactly," says De Jong, who, with his team, defeated Atlético twice last season. In the preceding years, Barcelona struggled against the competition. In the five encounters in 2020 and 2021, Barça did not win a single one. De Jong has only lost more games in his career against Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Athletic Bilbao.
The top match on Sunday evening also signifies a reunion for De Jong with fellow international Memphis Depay. The forward has recovered from injury and has had two short substitute appearances in the lead-up to the match against his former club. Barcelona is wary of both familiar faces, Memphis, and Antoine Griezmann. De Jong says, "They both have so much quality."
Updated: 12:39, 2 Dec 2023
