Make sure to read our Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid prediction and betting tips because this is a match that has the potential to decide the title winner. If Barcelona win at Camp Nou, it’s gonna get practically impossible for Atletico Madrid to catch up with them before the end of the season. And that would mean that Barca could make their Champions League campaign their priority. Atleti, on the other hand, are out of that competition and now La Liga is their only focus, so you can be sure they’re gonna do their utmost on Saturday.
Barcelona
Barcelona are without a La Liga defeat this year. Actually, the last time they lost in the Spanish top flight was back in November. They’re also in a great form in other competitions, including the Champions League where they’re among the top favorites for winning the trophy. And that’s definitely one of their priorities.
In order to be able to focus entirely on the Champions League, they need to secure the Spanish title as soon as possible. There are 8 rounds left in total before the end of the season, meaning that there are still 24 points in the game. Atleti, who are in the second place, have 8 points fewer, which means that with a win on Saturday, Barcelona would make a big step towards the title.
But, even if they lose to Atleti, they wouldn’t get in much trouble. Their schedule in La Liga seems pretty light, so losing the title race seems like a mission impossible. What all this means is that there’s no pressure on Barcelona, but at the same time, they’re players are more than eager to give their very best against one of their biggest rivals.
The final reason why we got to consider the home team as the favorite in our Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid prediction is that their form at Camp Nou has been sensational. And that’s the venue where they’re without a defeat to Atletico Madrid since 2006!
Atletico Madrid
In order to understand why our Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid betting tips are leaning towards the home team, you need to learn more about the form of the away team. Atletico Madrid do have a pretty decent team and have been playing sensationally in most parts of the season, but it seems their title hopes are broken.
The thing is that this entire squad must feel melancholic after blowing their chance to get to the quarterfinal of the Champions League last month. After beating Juve 2:0 at home, they went to Turin and lost 3:0. And that defeat has affected their performances in La Liga as well because in the next match they lost to Athletic Bilbao 2:0.
Atleti did bounce back after those two defeats with wins over Girona and Alaves. Of course, these teams are nowhere near Barcelona in terms of player quality. And after all, the players are the ones who decide matches.
Team News
Barcelona absentees:
- Ousmane Dembele (injury)
- Rafinha (injury)
Atletico Madrid absentees:
- Diego Costa (injury)
- Thomas Lemar (injury)
Possible Lineups
Barcelona
Ter Stegen – Pique, Umtiti, Semedo, Alba – Busquets, Vidal, Rakitic – Messi, Coutinho, Suarez
Atletico Madrid
Oblak – Gimenez, Godin, Arias, Luis – Thomas, Saul, Koke, Rodrigo – Griezmann, Morata
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid Prediction
Barcelona is a better team than Atletico Madrid, especially considering that Messi has been in a brilliant form. This guy has scored 9 goals in the previous 5 games he played for Barca and I expect him to put away at least one on Saturday.
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid Betting Tips
- Barcelona @1.80 (bet365)
- Lionel Messi to Score Anytime @1.80 (bet365)