Three key battles that could determine the outcome of Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid | OneFootball

FC Barcelona are awaiting their third straight La Liga game at the new Spotify Camp Nou. This time, it is a big one with Atlético Madrid coming to town, and the atmosphere will undoubtedly be as electric as possible.

Two wins in two games at their new stadium are a good start for Hansi Flick. The German manager has seen his team get results despite not being clinical enough, and he will be hoping for an improvement against Atlético Madrid.

Everything points to a firecracker of a game between the two La Liga giants. Individual battles are bound to be present all over the pitch, and these could go a long way towards determining the result on the night.

With all this in mind, we at Sempre Barça present three key battles that could decide Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid.

Alexander Sørloth vs Pau Cubarsi

Sørloth has scored so many goals against Barcelona over the years that a running joke can be made that the Catalans always start a goal down when they face the Norwegian marksman. He is in good form, scoring a brace for Atlético Madrid last weekend.

While it is not a guarantee that Diego Simeone starts him alongside Julián Álvarez, that does not matter for Sørloth. Whether as a starter or off the bench, he will strive to add to his tally against Barcelona, and the Catalans need to be wary.

Pau Cubarsí has to be at his attentive best to make sure Sørloth does not slip out of his grip. The Norwegian is an expert at making perfect runs into the box and finding himself in dangerous positions.

With the identity of Barcelona’s second centre-back on the night not clear, Cubarsí, at 18, will have to be the leader in defence and ensure that he, along with his team-mates, tries to stop Sørloth from influencing the game.

Raphinha vs Nahuel Molina

Raphinha is likely to start against Atlético Madrid after an impressive display against Alavés last weekend. He did not look like a player who had hardly played any football for two whole months, and the hunger and desire were evident.

Lining up on the left flank, he would likely come up against Nahuel Molina in the absence of Marcos Llorente. The Argentinian loves to get forward, but with a threat like Raphinha and Balde overlapping, this is an avenue Barcelona can target.

Raphinha has an excellent relationship with Balde on the left flank, and when the duo play together, more often than not, they make Barcelona look much better. Against Molina, they could run rampant if the opportunity presents itself.

It remains to be seen how the Brazilian fares on the night and whether he can influence a big game as he did on so many occasions last season.

Pedri vs Barrios

Pedri made a successful return from injury against Alavés. He played the last 30 minutes of that game and ran the show, enthralling the Camp Nou crowd with his play in midfield and showing exactly what the team missed in his absence.

Pablo Barrios, on the other hand, is Atlético Madrid’s biggest bet in midfield. He is likely to be tasked with stopping Pedri from influencing the game. The Canary Islander, for his part, will want to dominate his counterpart.

If Pedri has a good game, more often than not, Barcelona have an excellent time. Alongside Frenkie de Jong, the duo can return to doing what they did so well early in the season, playing opposition out of the park in midfield.

All eyes will be on the young Spaniard, and let us wait and see how he manages to influence the game against Atlético Madrid on the night.