Atletico Madrid v Barcelona Cheat Sheet
Atletico Madrid v Barcelona
Atlético will take on Barcelona on Sunday night, live on ITV4 at 8:00pm GMT, with Xavi’s side looking to maintain their LaLiga title push with one of the competition’s trickiest away trips to the Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano in the Spanish capital.
Both sides emerged unscathed from Copa del Rey action in midweek, although Barcelona did suffer a scare at the hand of minnows Intercity, and they will now turn their attentions back to the league competition.
Barcelona are favourites for this tie, but Atlético Madrid will fancy their chances. Barça will be without Robert Lewandowski as he finally serves a suspension for a red card against Osasuna before the World Cup, and are coming off the back of 120 minutes of action on Wednesday night as they needed extra-time to beat fourth-tier team Intercity.
Equally, Atleti have looked to be in good form since the break. They have convincingly beaten Arenteiro, Elche and Real Oviedo in the three games since the World Cup, conceding only one goal and scoring seven in the process. There seems to be a belief and confidence in their play again. Now, they welcome a side who have won only one of their last five visits to the Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano.
Barcelona have only lost once away from home this season, against Real Madrid in the Clásico, but they have only played two of the top eight away from home so far and so Atlético will pose one of their biggest tests of the season. Currently unbeaten in six on home turf, Atleti are regaining a reputation for making their home ground a fortress. Coming after a disappointing draw for Barcelona against Espanyol and a scare in the Copa del Rey in midweek, Atleti will be confident that they can grind out a result.
Despite sitting out the Copa del Rey game against Oviedo in midweek, João Félix is expected to start against Barcelona and has been in the XI that Diego Simeone has trained with in the build-up. With five goals in his last five games for Atleti, it’s easy to see why.
Starting in attack, he will be one of the most likely figures to have a shot on target. In his last 10 matches for Atleti, he has managed at least one attempt on target, recording three in each of his last three outings. You’d have to go back to the Madrid derby in September for the last time he played more than 30 minutes and failed to get a shot on target.
With 50% of his shots being on target in LaLiga this season, he ranks in the top 10 for shot accuracy and will look to maintain that against Barcelona. His preference to drift in from wide positions and link up with Álvaro Morata and Antoine Griezmann will cause the Catalan defence real problems.
With no Robert Lewandowski to lead the line for Barcelona due to suspension, Xavi will be looking elsewhere for firepower and while that may give a rare start to Ansu Fati, one man who is likely to step up is Ousmane Dembélé.
Dembélé has averaged 2.88 shots per 90 this season, and has registered two or more in each of his last four matches. Over that period, his average is even higher at 3.5 shots per 90. He also scored against Intercity in the Copa del Rey in midweek, taking his tally to six goals this season and six goal involvements in his last eight Barcelona matches.
Coming down the right for Barcelona, he could well face the uncertain left-back position of Atlético where Yannick Carrasco’s offensive focus leave gaps in behind. If that opens up space, Dembélé’s pace will see him in pole position, and even if Atleti defend deep, a third of the Frenchman’s shots this season have come from outside the box. If Barça are to break down the Atleti, it’s likely to come down Dembélé on the left.
Written by an Andy verified content writer
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