Pedri, ter Stegen talk ahead of Barcelona – Atletico Madrid clash: “Complicated game”

Following a nervy match-up against Intercity in midweek, FC Barcelona will shift their focus back on to La Liga as they lock horns with Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

It will be a crucial match for the Catalans, in their quest to remain at the top of the table. Speaking ahead of the game, Barça midfielder Pedri stressed the importance of collecting all three points, stating (h/t Diario SPORT), “We know that it will It’s going to be a complicated game and it’s difficult for a scenario like last year’s to be repeated, but hopefully there will be a game like that.”

Pedri backed Barcelona in the title race and claimed that sealing the league title is one of the club’s main objectives this season. “LaLiga is a very important title for us and we are going to go all out for it,” he said.

“When we play well and are physically well, the game we play is unstoppable. It’s true that we haven’t won titles as such, but the Barça style, adapting to today’s football, may have a lot to do with titles and victories and we’ll see it soon,” he added.

The Spanish international went on to talk about his progress at Barcelona, suggesting that there are still room for improvement in his performance.

“All the coaches I’ve had have told me that I have to improve in that facet. I know I have to. I can improve in many things: in making decisions, in reaching the area more, in working more for the team,” he said.

Meanwhile, another Barcelona superstar in Marc-Andre ter Stegen talked about the influence of Robert Lewandowski and his early success as a Barça player.

“Because of the language, he is trying to integrate a lot and that helps him and all his teammates. We knew what we were going to sign and this is what he does, even better than we could have imagined,” he said.

The German international also talked about his own performances in La Liga this season, notably thanking his defensive teammates and backing Barça to continue their excellent form at the back.

“It’s something for the whole team. If everything goes against you, as a goalkeeper you also suffer. I could have been better, but now I am in a very good moment. As a team, we are working very well defensively and that is the objective, to maintain that stability. We are working hard so that the opponent does not have that facility to finish off or to score goals,” he said.

Ter Stegen and Pedri will both play a critical role for Barcelona when they take on Atletico Madrid at Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday.