La Liga title contenders Atletico Madrid and Barcelona will square up against each other at Estadio Metropolitano on Sunday.
Third-placed Atletico Madrid will look to dislodge Barcelona from the top of the table when the two teams meet at Estadio Metropolitano on Sunday. These three points could prove to be very important in the title race as we head into the final phase of the season.
The home team have accumulated 56 points in their 27 matches. Los Rojiblancos are 12 points clear of the team in fifth, which means a top-four finish is almost certain. But the Colchoneros’ focus is on pushing for the league title, and they have a great opportunity as they can claim the top spot with a win in this fixture.
Their pursuit of the league title received a setback in their last outing as they lost to Getafe. While Diego Simeone’s men did win the second leg in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 against Real Madrid, they were controversially knocked out after a penalty shootout. So, Atletico Madrid will be eager to get their season back on track against Hansi Flick’s team.
The visitors are on top of the table with 57 points in their 26 outings. While Barcelona are just a point ahead of Atletico Madrid, they do have a game in hand. The Blaugrana demolished Real Sociedad (4-0) in their last La Liga outing and are heading into this fixture on the back of a 3-1 win over SL Benfica in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 clash.
Having won each of their last three league games across competitions, the Catalan giants will be full of confidence. Hansi Flick’s men are well aware of the importance of this fixture, and they would not want to drop points. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Atletico Madrid
Angel Correa is suspended for this fixture because of a red card against Getafe in their last league outing. Koke is doubtful for this fixture, while Rodrigo De Paul will undergo a late fitness assessment.
Atletico Madrid will stick with the 4-4-2 formation, and Diego Simeone is unlikely to make too many changes to the team that started against Real Madrid. Jan Oblak will continue in goal, while Nahuel Molina and Reinildo Mandava will be the full-backs. In the heart of the defence, Jose Gimenez will partner with Clement Lenglet.
As for the midfield unit Giuliano Simeone and Conor Gallagher will feature on the flanks in the middle of the park. Meanwhile, if De Paul passes the fitness test, he should partner with Pablo Barrios in a more central role. Finally, Julian Alvarez should continue to pair up with Antoine Griezmann in the strike partnership.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Molina, Gimenez, Lenglet, Reinildo; Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Gallagher; Griezmann, Alvarez
Barcelona
Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Marc Bernal remain on the sidelines, but Andreas Christensen could be back on the bench when Barcelona take on Atletico Madrid on Sunday. Everyone else is expected to be available for this outing.
Hansi Flick will stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Wojciech Szczesny will be in goal. Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde will feature out wide on the flanks, while Ronald Araujo will partner with Pau Cubarsi at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Frenkie de Jong and Pedri will form the double pivot in the middle of the park. They will look to control the tempo and ensure the away side have the majority of the ball possession.
Dani Olmo should take up the no. 10 role, with Lamine Yamal and Raphinha providing the width to their attacks. Robert Lewandowski will lead the line for Barcelona against Atletico Madrid at Estadio Metropolitano on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Balde; de Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski
Key Stats
- Atletico Madrid have accumulated 34 points from 14 La Liga matches, making their home ground a tough place for opponents.
- Barcelona have been the most consistent team on the road in La Liga, securing 30 points in 14 away games.
- The Catalan giants have the best attack in La Liga, having bagged 71 goals in their 26 league fixtures.
- Atletico Madrid claimed a narrow 2-1 win when they met Barcelona in La Liga earlier this season, while their Copa del Rey semi-final first leg ended in a dramatic 4-4 draw.
- When Barcelona last played at Estadio Metropolitano, they dominated the contest with a convincing 3-0 victory.
Player to Watch
Julian Alvarez
Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:’ZnnYsvRPQ9dRayBMOCZeng’,sig:’i3s0V7KSxLUcyJTnNr0vpf9I5UbCvZDYq8qk8_1CCLs=’,w:’594px’,h:’396px’,items:’2204572054′,caption: true ,tld:’com’,is360: false })});
While Alvarez could not help Atletico Madrid go past Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, he was one of their standout performers and could be key to their chances of securing a win over Barcelona in what is a very important fixture in the title race. The Argentine international has already contributed towards 27 goals, and he will be looking to add to his tally on Sunday.
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 2-1 Barcelona
Barcelona have been a dominant force across competitions, and they will be favourites to claim all three points here. But going past Atletico Madrid away from home is not going to be easy. Having suffered a blow in the UEFA Champions League, Diego Simeone’s men will give it their all to secure all three points, and they just might edge a positive result here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the home team.
