Barcelona will aim to hold on to the top spot as Atletico Madrid look to overtake them with a win this weekend.
Title contenders Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are all set to square up against each other in Matchday 12 of La Liga at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Sunday night.
The home team are second on the points table with 28 points in their 11 outings. They have nine wins, a draw and a defeat so far. Their nine-game unbeaten run (8 wins) came to an end against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League last time out.
While the 2-0 defeat to Bayern was a blow for his team, Diego Simeone will hope for a response from his team, who have won each of their last seven league games. A win here can take them top of the table; as a result, expect them to go all-out.
Meanwhile, Hansi Flick’s team are top of the table with 30 points in their 11 games. The Blaugrana were on a roll, having won their first nine league games, but ended up suffering a 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid at home in Matchday 10.
While defeats to PSG (UEFA Champions League) and Real Madrid were massive blows, the Catalan giants are back on track with wins over Alaves (6-1) and Aston Villa (3-0 in the Champions League). They will be optimistic about their chances as they travel to Madrid to take on Simeone’s men. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Atletico Madrid
The home team will be without the services of Cristian Romero (muscle) and Johnny Cardoso (thigh) due to injury. Meanwhile, they do have a boost as Morten Hjulmand is back available after missing the last game.
Jan Oblak will start between the sticks, with Marcos Llorente and Alejandro Grimaldo operating as the full-backs. Marc Pubill should pair up with David Hancko at the heart of the defence, with the pair tasked with keeping Barcelona’s star-studded attack at bay.
Giuliano Simeone and Alex Baena are likely to occupy the wide midfield roles, while Pablo Barrios and Hjulmand should form the central pairing. The midfield quartet will look to ensure Barcelona do not enjoy too much easy possession.
Finally, Lee Kang-in is expected to partner Julian Alvarez up front, with the Argentine set to lead the line against the club he was keen to join during the summer.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Llorente, Pubill, Hancko, Grimaldo; Simeone, Barrios, Hjulmand, Baena; Lee, Alvarez
Barcelona
Rodri picked up a hamstring injury against Aston Villa and could be out for a month. The Spanish international joins Dani Olmo (groin), Roony Bardghji (ACL), and Xavi Espart (ankle) on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Eric Garcia (thigh), Jules Kounde (ankle), and Andreas Christensen (thigh) will all undergo late fitness tests to determine their availability.
Joan Garcia is expected to start in goal, with Brian Farinas and Joao Cancelo operating as the full-backs. Pau Cubarsi should line up alongside Gerard Martin in the heart of the defence.
Hansi Flick could be tempted to pair Marc Bernal with Pedri in midfield, but Frenkie de Jong is likely to get the nod. The well-gelled duo have built a strong understanding and will look to protect the backline while dictating the tempo of the game.
Fermin Lopez is expected to operate in the number 10 role, with Lamine Yamal and Anthony Gordon providing the width. Finally, Raphinha should spearhead the Barcelona attack vs Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Joan Garcia; Farinas, Cubarsi, Martin, Cancelo; de Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Fermin, Gordon; Raphinha
Key Stats
- Atletico Madrid are unbeaten at home in La Liga, picking up four wins from five matches.
- None of the last eight meetings between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona have ended in a draw.
- Atletico Madrid have recorded a league-high six clean sheets this season.
- Barcelona boast a perfect away record in La Liga this season, winning all five games and scoring 22 goals.
- Barcelona have conceded at least once in each of their last five away games across all competitions.
Player to Watch
Raphinha
The 29-year-old Brazilian international is off to a flying start this season, as he has 22 goal contributions in his 13 outings across competitions. He has bagged 15 goals in the league, the highest tally by any player after 10 games since Cristiano Ronaldo back in the 2014/15 season.
The experienced attacker certainly seems to be loving his new role as a centre-forward. Raphinha has bagged a brace in his last two outings, and it won’t be a surprise if he ends up adding to his tally in this all-important clash.
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 2-2 Barcelona
Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are both in the title race, making this a potentially decisive fixture in the battle for the top spot. Diego Simeone’s men have been formidable in La Liga, particularly at home, and will be eager to bounce back from their defeat to Bayern Munich.
However, Hansi Flick’s side have shown signs of returning to their best, scoring nine goals in their last two outings. Raphinha is in excellent form and could cause plenty of problems for the Atletico defence. The hosts will make life difficult for the Catalan giants, but Barcelona have enough attacking quality to get on the scoresheet. Neither side is likely to have the final say. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-2 draw in this fixture.
