The match between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona can be thought of as the battle between two most serious title contenders. Even though we’ve just passed the first quarter of the season, it seems that every point matters a lot. In fact, the point difference is currently only a single point in Barca’s favor. Therefore, we should see Atleti giving their utmost at Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday evening. And because the match is expected to be an exciting one, you better check out this Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona match prediction before placing your bets!
Atletico Madrid
Most of the players responsible for getting Atletico Madrid to the second spot of La Liga last season are still in the club. But, during the transfer window, this team brought in a couple of very talented players, thus solving their biggest problem – a not-too-long bench.
In fact, last season Diego Simeone had to use players from the B-team in order to fil in the gap when some of his key men got injured. But, in 2018/2019, such problems should not bother him. Still, they do have a couple of injury worries ahead of Barca game, particularly in defense. The good news for their fans is that most of those injuries are not too serious.
And their form this season shows that Atleti are capable of getting in the race for the trophy. Actually, they’re already in the race, with just one point less than the table leader, Barcelona. But, they plan to change that in their favor. They got the manpower needed to compete with top teams, the question is whether they’re good enough to win all three points against mighty Barca.
They probably aren’t as good as the team from Catalonia, but they play at home ground, where they’ve won every single game since mid-September, counting all competitions. Still, their score against Barca at home isn’t that impressive. Barcelona won 5 out of previous 7 matches played at Atletico Madrid’s turf.
Barcelona
Atleti have been in a fantastic form lately, but they did lose 4:0 to Dortmund, a team that’s famous for their attacking approach to the game. And if there’s a team in Spain that plays offensively, it is Barcelona. Therefore, I think Barca will have no fear in this game and will attack from the very first moment.
What’s gotta worry their fans slightly is that Barcelona lost previous match in La Liga. They played in Seville and lost 4:3 to Real Betis. Sure, Barca famously always gets back on the feet after a failure, but this time they’ll have to try to do that without the help of some of their key men.
Messi is alright, which is the most important this when Barca are concerned. But, they will have to do without Rakitic, who got a red card in the Betis game. They will also have to play without Coutinho, who’s still struggling with a hamstring injury.
Team News
Atletico Madrid absentees:
- Diego Godin (injury)
- Koke (injury)
- Jose Gimenez (doubtful)
- Lucas (doubtful)
- Stefan Savic (doubtful)
- Thomas Lemar (doubtful)
Barcelona absentees:
- Ivan Rakitic (red card)
- Coutinho (injury)
Possible Lineups
Atletico Madrid
Oblak – Gimenez, Savic, Juanfran, Luis – Partey, Rodri Hernandez, Correa, Saul – Griezmann, Costa
Barcelona
Ter Stegen – Pique, Umtiti, Samedo, Alba – Busquets, Arthur, Vidal – Messi, Dembele, Suarez
Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona Match Prediction
Atleti have allowed only 8 goals so far, which is the least number of conceded goals in the league. But, I think that number will increase on Saturday. It’s not only because their defenders are struggling with injuries, but also because Barca have been fantastic in the final third.
Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona Betting Tips
- Over 2.5 Goals @2.07 (1XBet)
- Barcelona @2.37 (bet365)