- Barcelona will host Atletico on Tuesday night in a game that could potentially decide the fate of the LaLiga title.
- The Blaugrana suffered a hammer blow to the league’s ambitions after a 2-2 draw against Celta Vigo.
Preview
Modified on June 29, 2020, at 5:44 pm IS
“/>Barcelona prepare to host Atletico Madrid on Tuesday as they try to keep up with Real Madrid leaders LaLiga Santander. The Blaugrana suffered a severe blow to their aspirations for the title after Iago Aspas’ late draw at Celta. The repercussions of granting that goal are serious as Barcelona are now two points behind Los Blancos.
Athletes will undoubtedly represent the greatest threat to the pursuit of the Barcelona title. Diego Simeone’s team is one of the most difficult teams to shoot down in Europe and this year has conceded only 23 goals. This figure is improved only by their rivals from the city Real, who have conceded only two less. They have gone up three points since the championship restart and currently sit in third place.
“/>The consequences of a loss at Camp Nou would be catastrophic as Barcelona could be up to five points behind the leaders with five games left.
Athletes would like to cause a disturbance in the upper part and find themselves in an impressive vein of form. The Catalans, meanwhile, are in an embarrassing moment after their draw against Celta. Winning every game from now until the end of the season will no longer be enough due to the two-point gap. Real Madrid have to leave points for Barcelona to hope to win the title.
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid Head to head
Barcelona have the advantage of joining this game as they haven’t lost a league game against Athletes for over three years. Their last six games at LaLiga Santander have led to four Catalan wins and two draws.
There may not necessarily be a party every time these two sides meet, but the tactical battles between them have always been impressive. The well-trained 4-4-2 of Atleti has posed some problems in Barcelona in the past. In fact, Los Colchoneros was the winner with a score of 3-2 the last time these two teams met in the semifinal of the Spanish Super Cup.
“/>Athletes have been in excellent shape since restarting the game and could try to continue that race. They were in sixth place when the league resumed and were brought to a 1-1 draw with the Athletic Club on June 14th. Since then, they have won four games on the rebound and have risen impressively on the table to qualify for the Champions League.
Barcelona, meanwhile, have won three of their five games since the restart and have lost two points on two occasions – giving the lead to Real Madrid. Under the circumstances, Barcelona can accept three points to say the least.
Barcelona module guide: DWDWW
Athletes module guide: WWWWD
Team news Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid
All eyes will be on Joao Felix on Tuesday night as the Portuguese wonderkid has just begun to find his feet in LaLiga. The 20-year-old moved to Atletico for 126 million euros last summer and found the adaptation process challenging. It has given an excellent touch since the restart and could be fundamental to Athletes’ hopes of a result at Camp Nou.
Athletes have no major concerns about injuries before the crucial game. Sime Vrsaljko and Mario Hermoso are the only notable absentees for the game. However, stellar men Stefan Savic and Koke are ready to suspend a game due to the accumulation of yellow cards.
“/>Barcelona, on the other hand, will be without their midfielder Frenkie de Jong for the Atleti game. The Dutchman along with Ousmane Dembele is on the Barcelona injury list, while Sergi Roberto could make the bench after a rib injury.
Antoine Griezmann is in good shape but has been left on the bench for Celta, which may again be the case. His position is unclear, however, and the Frenchman is likely to be enrolled in training to face his former team. Sergio Busquets is again available for selection after serving the suspension of a game and should start.
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid XI expected
Barcelona predicted XI (4-3-3): Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Nelson Semedo, Gerard Pique, Clement Lenglet, Jordi Alba; Arturo Vidal, Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Antoine Griezmann
Atletico Madrid predicted XI (4-4-2): Jan Oblak; Kieran Trippier, Felipe, Jose Maria Gimenez, Renan Lodi; Angel Correa, Thomas Partey, Saul Niguez, Marcos Llorente; Joao Felix, Diego Costa
Prediction Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid
Given that the game is of fundamental importance for Barcelona, all firearms against Atletico are likely to come out. Real Madrid will face a trip to Villarreal in the same round that could give the home team the hope of losing points in Los Blancos. However, they found it difficult to defend Athletes’ defense in the past and could be injured by Joao Felix & co on the counter. There is a high probability that it may be a low score given the history of the two sides. The game could end in a stalemate due to the close defenses of both sides (especially the away team) and pressure from a possible title decision maker.
Prediction: Barcelona 1-1 Atletico Madrid
Read also: Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid: 5 key battles that could determine the fortunes of Barcelona in the decisive decision maker La Liga 2019-20
Published 29 June 2020, 17:44
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