BARCELONA: FC Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde on Saturday termed the La Liga fixture between his side and Atletico Madrid as a ‘final’.
Barcelona enjoyed an 11-point daylight between themselves and Atletico going into February, but three draws in last five fixtures have reduced the point gap to five.
Speaking to a pre-match press conference, Valverde said that the clash against the red and white unit from Madrid is going to be a ‘final’. “We will prepare for (the Atletico clash) as if it’s our last game, as if it’s a final,” Valverde said.
The coach also emphasised on the importance of a victory against a tough Atletico team, since it would increase the advantage to eight points for the Blaugranes and that is what the team is aiming for.
“Our advantage is down to just five points after dropping two the other day, so now the points are worth even more and the prize is a juicy one. If we win, we go eight points clear and that’s the intention. Winning would be an important step forward,” Valverde said.
The two teams will go head to head on Sunday, as both have a Spanish league title in their sights.