Barcelona and Atletico Madrid will square off against each other in a blockbuster encounter that can have major repercussions in the La Liga top-four race.
Barcelona will return to action after the first international break of 2022 when they play hosts to arch-rivals Atletico Madrid in a crucial contest in La Liga on Sunday afternoon.
Barcelona started the new year on a positive note with two victories in two games, but failed to win any of their three subsequent matches (D1 L2). However, they did bounce back with a 1-0 triumph over Deportivo Alaves before heading into the two-week hiatus. The victory allowed them to close down the gap to the top four to just one point, and a win on Sunday could see the Catalans move into the Champions League qualifying spots.
Atletico Madrid, too, have a similar record to their weekend opponents in 2022. After coming out on top in their first two games of the new year, Los Rojiblancos drew one and lost two before returning to winning ways just before the break as they defeated Valencia 3-2 in a sensational comeback victory. Diego Simeone’s side are fourth in the table, just a point above Barça, and will need a win to strengthen their chances of a top-four finish.
The reverse fixture, played in October last year, saw Barcelona fall to a 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid, courtesy of first-half strikes from Luis Suarez and Thomas Lemar. Ahead of their latest meeting this weekend, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams.
Team News & Tactics
Barcelona
The squad for #BarçaAtleti pic.twitter.com/0WSagYdvwn
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 5, 2022
Barcelona have a lengthy injury list heading into this contest with as many as seven players ruled out. The likes of Memphis Depay, Ansu Fati, Sergi Roberto, Eric Garcia, Clement Lenglet, Samuel Umtiti and Alejandro Balde are all missing. However, Xavi Hernandez will be able to call upon late January additions Adama Traore and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Meanwhile, contract rebel Ousmane Dembele has also been named in the squad by the manager despite reports claiming that the Frenchman could be banished from the first team for the rest of the season. The Barcelona boss is expected to set his team up in the usual 4-3-3 formation in front of goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Gerard Pique and Ronald Araujo, who is set to be a man in demand in the summer, will form the centre-back pairing to shield the German shot-stopper and keep out former Barcelona superstar Luis Suarez. Dani Alves, who has been omitted from the UEFA Europa League squad, should feature at right-back while fellow veteran Jordi Alba remains the obvious pick on the left side.
Sergio Busquets is a guaranteed starter at the base of the Barcelona midfield unit from where he will look to thwart Atletico Madrid’s attempts to counterattack and help his team stay on the front foot. Frenkie de Jong and Pedri are expected to occupy the remaining two midfield slots and provide the forward thrust and creativity. Gavi and Nico Gonzalez will be options from the bench.
Dembele is expected to feature from kick-off on Sunday afternoon despite his situation. The Frenchman will occupy one of the flanks while Ferran Torres should also get the nod in the wide areas. Spearheading the attack for the Blaugrana should be Aubameyang, while Luuk de Jong and Adama Traore provide cover from the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): ter Stegen; Alves, Pique, Araujo, Alba; de Jong, Busquets, Pedri; Torres, Aubameyang, Dembele
Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid will have to make do without the services of Marcos Llorente, Geoffrey Kondogbia and Antoine Griezmann for the trip to Camp Nou, with the trio missing out because of injuries. New signings Daniel Wass and Reinildo Mandava are named in the travelling squad.
Diego Simeone will set his team up in his preferred 4-4-2 setup, with two banks of four protecting the goalkeeper. The midfielders will have the job to press their opponents intensely to try and force turnovers and launch counterattacks. Jan Oblak, who has had a difficult season so far, will need to be at his best to deny Barcelona.
? ¡??????? ???????????? para el desplazamiento a Barcelona! ? pic.twitter.com/0y2ULDfWdM
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) February 5, 2022
Stefan Savic and Jose Maria Gimenez ought to pair up at the heart of the Atleti defence and try to shackle Aubameyang, while new signing Wass is expected to slot right in at right-back. However, Mario Hermoso should get the nod on the left side of the defence, with Reinildo likely to be held back.
The onus of winning the midfield battle will be on captain Koke and summer signing Rodrigo De Paul, who will look to stifle Barcelona’s runners Pedri and de Jong. The responsibility of supplying the chances for the strikers ought to be taken up by the two wingers Yannick Carrasco and Thomas Lemar. They will also need to to track back and help out the full-backs defensively.
Luis Suarez will lead the line on his Barcelona return and will most likely be partnered by Angel Correa, with Matheus Cunha and Joao Felix options from the bench for Simeone.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Wass, Savic, Gimenez, Hermoso; Carrasco, De Paul, Koke, Lemar; Correa, Suarez
Key Stats
- Barcelona have lost two of their last three games against Atletico Madrid in La Liga (D1), failing to score in each of those three encounters.
- Atletico Madrid have not won any of their last four La Liga matches away from home (D1 L3).
- Barcelona have gone 15 straight La Liga games without losing to Atletico Madrid (W10 D5) at home.
- Atletico Madrid have conceded 26 goals in their first 21 La Liga games in 2021/22.
- Barcelona have scored the most headed goals in La Liga this season (eight).
Player to Watch
Ousmane Dembele
? Xavi on the @Dembouz situation: pic.twitter.com/UFDf8CeN9V
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 5, 2022
After all the controversy and commotion in the January transfer window, Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele ended up staying put at Camp Nou. The Frenchman dominated the headlines due to his decision to reject the club’s contract offer, which forced Barça to try and get rid of him in the winter. Despite strong links to Chelsea and PSG, a January transfer failed to materialise.
There had been talks of him being sent to the stands for the rest of the campaign while the possibility of a contract termination was also discussed. However, all those suggestions have been brushed off, and the 24-year-old will be taking the field on Sunday.
With a packed Camp Nou expected for the game, Dembele will likely face a lot of jeers from the supporters. It will be crucial for him and Barcelona that the winger does not get bogged down by the pressure and rises to the occasion to help the team to a vital victory.
Prediction
Barcelona 1-1 Atletico Madrid
Both teams come into the game on the back of some questionable form in January. While Barcelona have strengthened their squad significantly, there is a sense that they are a bit too top-heavy. Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, have blown hot and cold throughout the season but the comeback win against Valencia showed their grit and determination.
Those characteristics are expected to be on display again on Sunday as Atletico will make life difficult for their hosts. However, Xavi Hernandez’s men should have enough to salvage a point from the contest and not succumb to a defeat like the reverse fixture.
