'A player to admire' - Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone lauds Barcelona forward & offers surprise congratulations despite title fight with La Liga rivals

Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone had words of adulation for Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski, offering his congratulations to the veteran forward amid a tight La Liga title race with their rivals. The Argentine was speaking ahead of the Copa del Rey semi-final second-leg clash with Barca, but that didn't stop him speaking in glowing terms about the Polish forward's talents.

Lewandowski is enjoying his best season at Barcelona since arriving from Bayern Munich in 2022. In 42 games, the Pole has found the back of the net 38 times, with 25 of those coming in La Liga alone as he aims for his second Pichichi award in three seasons.

"Reaching 100 goals for Barcelona is one of the goals for the season," he admitted, with Lewandowski currently on 97 goals for Liga giants. "It's a dream for me. We still have lots of games to play and we want to be in the Copa del Rey and Champions League finals, and win La Liga."

“Lewandowski? Congratulations, he’s having an extraordinary season. He’s a player to admire, and for the younger players to watch and learn from," Simeone told reporters on Tuesday ahead of his team's Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Barcelona (quotes via Get Spanish Football News).

The two sides will lock horns on Wednesday in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final. They will battle it out for a place in the final at the Metropolitano Stadium with all to play for, as the first leg ended in an exhilarating 4-4 draw.