Barcelona are set to host Atletico Madrid in a battle of La Liga heavyweights at the Camp Nou on Saturday night, as the race for the title heats up coming into the final stretch of the season.
The Blaugrana are coming off a thrilling 4-4 draw with Villarreal which saw the club squander a two-goal lead and eventually come back in injury time to come away with a point at the Estadio de la Ceramica. Atletico took home all three points on Tuesday night when they hosted Girona, courtesy of goals from Diego Godin and Antoine Griezmann, but the Madrid side wasn’t at their best for most of the game.
Barca currently hold an eight-point lead over Los Colchoneros at the top of La Liga, but a win at the Camp Nou would bring Atletico within five points of the defending title-holders.
8? points in the last 10 minutes ?
Barça ? Athletic: +1
Rayo ? Barça: +3
Atlético ? Barça: +1
Sevilla ? Barça: +2
Villarreal ? Barça: +1 https://t.co/LyaHfBrnW2— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 3, 2019
Check out 90min’s preview of the huge La Liga clash between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Where to Watch
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| ?What Is Kickoff? | Saturday 6 April |
| ?What Time Is Kickoff? | 19:45 (BST) |
| ?Where Is it Played? | Camp Nou |
| ?TV Channel/Live Stream | N/A |
| ?Referee | Gil Manzano |
Team News
Barcelona
Atletico will be short on attacking players with Diego Costa
Lucas Hernandez underwent successful knee surgery last week ahead of the 23-year-old’s summer move to Bayern Munich so he will also be out for the fixture at the Camp Nou.
Predicted Lineups
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| Barcelona? | Ter Stegen; Alba, Pique, Umtiti, Roberto; Arthur, Busquets, Rakitic; Coutinho, Suarez, Messi |
| ?Atletico | Oblak; Luis, Godin, Gimenez; Rodri, Koke, Partay, Saul, Arias, Griezmann, Correa |
Head to Head Record
The two sides are set to face off for the 209th time in their long histories with Barca holding the all-time record between the two clubs, winning 93 and drawing 50. The remaining 65 matches between the sides have been won by ?Atletico, most recently coming in the 2015/16 Champions League quarter-final. The Blaugrana have controlled the series in recent years, winning six and drawing four in their previous ten matches played.
In the first La Liga
Recent Form
The Blaugrana, and particularly Lionel Messi
Atletico has been relatively inconsistent over their recent fixtures, winning three and losing two. One of the losses came at the hands of Juventus when Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick to send them out of Europe’s biggest club competition.
Here’s how each side has fared in their previous five matches in all competitions.
| Barcelona? | Atletico Madrid? |
| Villarreal 4-4 Barcelona (02/04) | ?Atletico 2-0 Girona (02/04) |
| ?Barcelona 2-0 Espanyol (30/03) | Alaves 0-4 Atletico (30/03) |
| Real Betis 1-4 Barcelona (17/03) | Athletic Bilbao 2-0 Atletico (16/03) |
| ?Barcelona 5-1 Lyon (13/03) | Juventus 3-0 Atletico (12/03) |
| ?Barcelona 3-1 Rayo Vallecano | ?Atletico 1-0 Leganes (09/03) |
Prediction
With Atletico missing several key players for the match at the Camp Nou, it will be tough for them to take down a surging Barca side. However the Blaugrana showed some weakness on the counter-attack against Villarreal and this may be Atletico’s best opportunity to take any points away from home.
Messi has been exceptional, as always, for Barca in recent weeks but some of his goals have been stunning even by his own lofty standards. His side will have to be much more organised on the defensive side of the ball if they are to continue their ten-match unbeaten streak against Los Rojiblancos.
Despite the lack of attacking options for Atletico, their defence is always trustworthy and Griezmann will be keen on showing Barcelona his full skillset. In the end, the squads will draw for a second time this season and the title race will be in Barca’s hands for the rest of the campaign.
Prediction: Barcelona 2-2 Atletico
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