Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone says he does not see Sunday's clash at home to Barcelona as a chance to get into the title race, but hopes that the "best team in the world" will have another off day.
Atletico are fourth in La Liga, having won six and drawn two of their last eight games in the competition, to move to within seven points of leaders Real Madrid. With Los Blancos facing a tough trip to Villarreal, a win for Simeone's side could push them back into the title race.
However, Simeone told his pre-game news conference that his team were realistically only in a battle with third-placed Sevilla to see who finishes next behind the big two.
"We are just thinking about the game, not anything like [a title challenge]," Simeone said. "We see these as three points, not so much against a direct rival, but in a battle for third spot. Then something better if it is possible. It is very early yet. I don't believe this game will be decisive. La Liga always depends on what Real Madrid and Barcelona can do, as they are superior to everyone else."
PRESS CONFERENCE ��
�� @Simeone: "@FCBarcelona has always competed at the highest level"#GoAtleti #AtletiFCB pic.twitter.com/to4zuPuEx4- Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) February 25, 2017
Barcelona recently visited the Calderon for a Copa del Rey semifinal first leg and quickly went 2-0 up. Although Atletico were then on top for most of the remainder of the tie they were still narrowly eliminated 3-2 on aggregate. Simeone said the two games had shown how dangerous Luis Enrique's side could be.
"At the Calderon we tried to press them up high and they scored twice in 20 minutes," he said. "We got on top in the second half and came close to scoring.
"Barcelona remain the best team in the world, and it always depends on what they can do. They will come here even more up for the battle after Madrid's defeat the other day. We are ready to face them at their best."
Barca have not often been at their best recently, with coach Luis Enrique's future being questioned following the 4-0 Champions League round-of-16 first-leg defeat at Paris Saint-Germain, and narrow 2-1 home win over Leganes last weekend.
"It is difficult to compete as they have done in this era," Simeone said. "They have won eight trophies with Luis Enrique. Any team can have a bad game, which is possibly what happened to them in Paris. But we played four halves against them in the Copa del Rey -- they only played well in one, and knocked us out. We played three extraordinary halves. That speaks clearly to their power."
Centre-back and defensive leader Diego Godin is back in the Atletico squad after missing three games with an adductor muscle strain. Fit again goalkeeper Jan Oblak is also expected to start, having made the bench for Tuesday's 4-2 Champions League win at Bayer Leverkusen, in which Miguel Angel Moya was badly at fault for one of the Bundesliga side's goals.