Xavi Hernandez says his Barcelona stars are in for ‘test of fire’ against Atletico Madrid.
Barca are preparing for one of the biggest games of their season as they continue to battle for a top four spot.
The Blaugrana are currently one point and one place behind Atletico, who occupy the final top four spot.
A win on Sunday against Los Rojiblancos would be huge in their bid to grab a top four finish.
It has been a turbulent campaign so far for Barca, and Xavi hasn’t really managed to correct his team’s inconsistencies just yet.
But these things take time, and there’s no better time to test your resolve than against a direct rival.
That’s something Barca will have the chance to do this weekend, and Xavi knows it will be no easy task for his men.
“We will play against a very difficult team that dominates the high pressure and the low block,” he said in his pre-match press conference.
“We will have to show that we have trained well. It will be a test of fire.”
Atleti have also struggled this season, so this will be just as much a test for Diego Simeone’s men.
Los Rojiblancos won the La Liga title last season, but they too are having to battle for a top four spot.
Both teams come into this one on the back of a La Liga win and consecutive cup defeats.