Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has admitted that Barcelona have become more difficult to defend against following Hansi Flick's decision to deploy Raphinha in a central attacking role rather than Robert Lewandowski.

The Brazilian has enjoyed an extraordinary start to the 2026-27 campaign, scoring 19 goals in just 13 appearances, and his new position has given Atletico a different problem to solve ahead of Sunday's top-of-the-table La Liga showdown.

Barcelona travel to the Metropolitano with a two-point advantage over Simeone's side, who can move above the defending champions with a victory.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Saturday, the Argentine identified Raphinha's movement as the most significant tactical difference between the Barcelona side he faced last season and the one preparing to visit Madrid.

While Lewandowski offered a more conventional presence inside the penalty area, Raphinha's tendency to drop into midfield and attack different spaces has complicated the defensive task.

Diego Simeone highlights the problem created by Raphinha's new role

Simeone has never concealed his admiration for Raphinha, having repeatedly praised the former Leeds United winger's intensity, movement and attacking output.

The Atletico boss was again full of praise for the 29-year-old on Saturday, describing him as an exceptional footballer whose influence has continued to grow since moving into the centre of Flick's attack.

"For me, he's an extraordinary footballer, with his work rate, pace, goals and assists," Simeone told reporters.

"He had an incredible season last year and he's started this one brilliantly, playing in a different position where he's also doing very well and giving his team plenty of options."

However, it was the comparison with Lewandowski that provided the clearest insight into the challenge facing Atletico.

Simeone insisted that Barcelona's overall approach remains largely unchanged, with Flick continuing to demand aggressive pressing, a high defensive line and quick recoveries of possession.

The difference, he explained, lies in the profile of the player leading the attack.

"Lewandowski was more of a positional number nine," Simeone said.

"Raphinha can appear as an attacking midfielder to link the play. Gordon is now on the left and he's doing very well.

"They've lost the more positional reference point they had with Lewandowski, and now it's potentially more complicated to defend against them, because dealing with Raphinha isn't the same as dealing with a number nine, regardless of how dangerous he is inside the box."

The Barcelona captain's movement creates decisions for opposition defenders that were less frequent when Lewandowski operated as the central striker.

Following Raphinha into deeper positions can open space behind the defensive line, while allowing him to receive the ball between the lines risks giving Barcelona an additional player in midfield.

Simeone specifically highlighted that flexibility when discussing how his team would approach Sunday's encounter.

"The difference is Raphinha's positioning, which changes some of what they were doing last season because of his movement, his ability to create numerical superiority in midfield and his runs in behind towards the end of attacks," he explained.

Those qualities have helped Raphinha thrive alongside Anthony Gordon and Lamine Yamal, with the two wide players offering further attacking options around the Brazilian.

Raphinha's outstanding form raises the stakes for Atletico Madrid

Raphinha's performances have provided emphatic support for Flick's decision to change his position.

The former Leeds winger has scored 15 times in La Liga this season, making him the division's leading goalscorer ahead of Sunday's meeting.

His record against Atletico also gives Simeone reason to pay particular attention to him.

Across 10 previous meetings with the Madrid club, Raphinha has been on the winning side eight times, drawing once and losing just once.

He has contributed two goals and six assists in those encounters, establishing himself as a frequent source of problems for Atletico's defence.

His absence proved significant during last season's cup competitions, when Barcelona were eliminated by Simeone's side in both the Copa del Rey and Champions League.

Raphinha missed the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final, which Atletico won 4-0, before scoring in Barcelona's 3-0 second-leg victory.

He was also unavailable for both legs of their Champions League quarter-final defeat.

This time, the Brazilian is available, although his recent fitness problems have raised questions about whether he is operating at full capacity.

Simeone, meanwhile, has acknowledged the scale of the challenge facing his side.

"We're playing against a very good team, possibly the best. I have no doubt about that," the Atletico manager said.

"We know we're going to suffer for large parts of the match. Hopefully, we can play the game we have in mind."

Atletico have won nine of their opening 11 league fixtures, but their task on Sunday is particularly demanding given the attacking form of the visitors.

Barcelona, who lead the standings with 30 points to Atletico's 28, will be looking to extend their advantage at the summit.

Simeone's men, meanwhile, have an opportunity to take control of the title race, provided they can find an answer to the movement of the player their own manager has identified as Barcelona's biggest tactical difference.

The Argentine has explained why Raphinha presents such a difficult problem. Sunday's contest will reveal whether Atletico have found a way to contain him.