Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid – Betting Tips and LaLiga Preview

Barcelona played a very entertaining match against Villareal in the last round. The game finished 4-4, but it could’ve easily been a loss for Barcelona had it not been for the two late goals by Suarez and Messi. The difference between Barcelona and their opponents Atletico is now down to eight points, but the team from Catalonia are still favourites for the title. They also managed to rest some players against Villareal and should be fresher for this clash.

Atletico had some up and downs this season, but they are currently second and hope to mount a title challenge and at least make Barcelona worry about their first position. Simeone’s team managed to come back from being knocked out of the Champions League by winning their next two matches against Alaves and Girona, but the game on Saturday will be the real test.

Team News

Vidal will miss the game due to a suspension, which means that Arthur and Rakitic will likely start in midfield, with Busquets playing slightly deeper. Rafinha and Ousmane Dembele have been out for a while and won’t be able to participate against Atletico. Pique will probably get back in the side after being rested in the last match. It looks like Umtiti will make way for him, seeing as Langlet is in great form.

Atletico will be happy with the news that Santiago Arias is fit after his injury and will play instead of Juanfran at right-back. However, Alvaro Morata has an ankle problem, so it looks like Diego Costa, who himself had a hamstring injury, will replace him up top. Thomas Lemar and Lucas Hernandez are the other players for Atletico who will miss the game due to injuries.

Prediction

Barcelona are in incredible form, having lost none of their last 18 league matches. They also haven’t lost to Atletico in the same number of games. The team has scored at least twice in ten of their previous eleven home games in La Liga.

However, Atletico is a team that is well-known for its great defensive organization. They have kept a clean sheet in six of their previous seven games in La Liga, conceding only in their defeat against Athletic Bilbao. When Atleti plays against Barcelona, they usually manage to contain their attack. Barcelona have scored more than once in only one of their last five league meeting against this opponent. However, Atletico haven’t won in a league match against Barcelona since 2010, which is a daunting statistic for the visitors in this match. Atletico will try to keep things tight in their end and pounce on the counter, but I think Barcelona have what it takes to snatch the win here. It’s not easy to overlook 3/4 odds offered by Betfair when Barcelona plays at home.