Atlético Madrid midfielder Koke says his team must play with confidence and character to prevent Barcelona from overturning their Champions League quarter‑final deficit on Tuesday night. Atlético hold a 2-0 first‑leg advantage from their win at Camp Nou and are aiming to reach the semi‑finals for the first time since 2017.
Barcelona, five‑time European champions and semi‑finalists last season, arrive at the Metropolitano determined to fight their way back into the tie and increase the pressure on Diego Simeone’s side.
“It’s hugely important to beat their press,” Koke told reporters. “They’re a team that presses very high, pushes their line almost to the halfway line, and suffocates you. That’s where our personality comes in wanting the ball, making ourselves available, making runs in behind.”
Tuesday’s clash will be the third meeting between the sides in two weeks and the sixth of the season, with Atlético having already knocked Barcelona out of the Copa del Rey semi‑finals.
“We know each other perfectly,” Koke added. “It will be very important to take the ball off them, attack the spaces well, and have the personality to want the ball and not lose it.”
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