Verdict: Draw
Best odds: 13/5
Bookmaker: Olympusbet
One of the fixtures anticipated most highly on the La Liga calendar is set to unfold at the magnificent Wanda Metropolitano stadium on Sunday evening, as Atletico Madrid play host to Barcelona.
Both teams secured their place in the Champions League quarter-finals earlier this week. Atletico edged past Serie A leaders Inter Milan in a tense penalty shootout, while Barcelona advanced with a 4-2 aggregate victory over reigning Italian champions Napoli.
Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid’s recent 2-0 defeat to Cadiz in La Liga undoubtedly stands as their most disappointing result of the season, casting a shadow over their preparation for the second leg of their last-16 Champions League clash with Inter Milan.
Diego Simeone’s squad entered the match trailing 1-0 from the first leg in Italy. However, they managed to secure a 2-1 victory on the night, leveling the tie at 2-2 on aggregate, with Memphis Depay equalizing in the 87th minute. Atletico then advanced to the quarterfinals with a 3-2 penalty shootout win.
In the next stage, Atletico will face Borussia Dortmund, with the first leg taking place at Wanda Metropolitano. Nonetheless, the Atleti cannot afford to neglect their La Liga campaign, as securing a top-four position in the league remains uncertain at this point in the campaign.
Currently occupying fourth place in the division, Atletico hold a slim two-point lead over fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao. They also trail third-placed Barcelona by six points ahead of this weekend’s matchup.
Despite the setback against Cadiz, Atletico boast the best home record in La Liga this season, accumulating 40 points from 14 matches, including 13 wins and one draw.
Recent history favors Atletico when facing Barcelona at home, providing them with a confidence boost. Remarkably, they have not defeated Barcelona away from home in La Liga since February 2006.
Team News
Atletico Madrid will once again be without Jose Gimenez and Thomas Lemar due to injury this weekend. However, apart from these absences, the capital club boasts a strong squad.
Despite a recent injury, Antoine Griezmann managed to play 105 minutes against Inter and is fit to start on Sunday. He is likely to partner Alvaro Morata up front.
Simeone will assess the fitness of his players, of course, but it’s possible that the lineup will remain unchanged from the one that started against Inter. Samuel Lino could retain his place as the left-sided wing-back, while Marcos Llorente is expected to continue in central midfield.
Barcelona
Barcelona secured a 3-1 victory over Napoli in the second leg of their last-16 Champions League encounter on Tuesday, advancing to the quarterfinals with a 4-2 aggregate triumph.
The Catalans will now face Paris Saint-Germain, and the winner of that tie will meet either Atletico Madrid or Borussia Dortmund in the semis. The other side of the draw features Manchester City, Real Madrid, Arsenal, and Bayern Munich.
Barcelona are currently on an unbeaten run of nine matches across all competitions, with a 1-0 win over Mallorca in the league last weekend keeping them in contention for the title.
Xavi’s team sits third in the La Liga table, just one point behind second-placed Girona and eight points adrift of leaders Real Madrid, who will be facing Osasuna on Saturday.
Barcelona have enjoyed a four-game winning streak against Atletico in La Liga, including a 1-0 victory in their previous encounter earlier this season. Furthermore, they remain undefeated against Atletico since October 2021.
With the second-best away record in La Liga this season, Barcelona have amassed 27 points from 13 away matches, maintaining an unbeaten status in the process.
Team News
Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Gavi, and Alejandro Balde remain sidelined due to injury, while Marcos Alonso and Ferran Torres are also expected to be unavailable once again.
In their absence, Lamine Yamal, 16, and Pau Cubarsi, 17, who have recently been named in the latest Spain squad, are anticipated to retain their spots in the starting lineup for Sunday’s match, given their impressive form.
Although Joao Felix found the net against his parent club earlier in the season, the Portugal international is likely to start on the bench, with Raphinha expected to feature on the left flank.
Andreas Christensen and Fermin Lopez are poised to occupy midfield roles on Sunday, while Robert Lewandowski will aim to build on his tally of 19 goals across all competitions this season.
Conclusion
Barcelona kept clean sheets in their last three encounters against Atletico, clinching narrow 1-0 victories in each. Nonetheless, it’ll likely be tougher this time around, facing a resilient home side with loud support from the stands of the Wanda Metropolitano.
Draws between these two sides have been rare and have not happened since May 2021, but this contest will be a close one, not unlikely to end with the spoils shared.
Verdict: Draw
Best odds: 13/5
Bookmaker: Olympusbet
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