Barcelona prepare to face Atlético with revenge in mind

FC Barcelona face Atlético on Sunday at the Metropolitano Stadium, looking to settle scores with their rivals after the latter knocked them out of the Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League last season.

According to "Mundo Deportivo", Barcelona is looking to win in order to extend their lead at the top of LaLiga to 5 points, while a victory would give Atlético the chance to move one point closer.

Atlético inflicted a heavy defeat on FC Barcelona with a score of 4-0 in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final. Despite the Catalan side winning the return leg 3-0, they failed to force extra time, thus exiting the tournament.

The scenario repeated itself in the UEFA Champions League, as FC Barcelona lost the first leg 2-0, before equalizing in the second leg with goals from Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres. However, the cancellation of Torres' goal and the red card for Erik Garcia prevented the team from completing the comeback, leading to their exit in the Quarter-Final.

The newspaper also highlighted the case of Julián Alvarez, who was a key target for FC Barcelona last summer, but Atlético refused to negotiate his transfer to the Catalan club, despite being open to selling him to Arsenal and the player's desire to wear the FC Barcelona shirt.

Hans Flick's team aims to secure victory on Sunday to strengthen their lead in LaLiga and make up for last season's disappointments against Atlético.