Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid: Match preview | UCL | OneFootball

FC Barcelona will now turn their attention towards the UEFA Champions League, where they will fight to secure a spot in the semi-finals. However, to get to that point of the competition, they must first overcome Atletico Madrid.

A familiar opponent for Hansi Flick’s team, Diego Simeone’s side is notoriously hard to beat. However, it is also something that the Catalan giants have a lot of experience with, and they will look to bet on it as well.

Match details:

Match overview:

So far this season, both of these two sides have already met on four separate occasions. Two of those games were played in La Liga, while the other two were played in the Copa del Rey. In three of those four games, Barça emerged victorious.

Despite the fact that the aggregate score in their Copa del Rey tie leaned in Atletico Madrid’s favour, it is still clear that Barça have managed to get the upper hand on their Madrid-based opponents on a number of occasions this season already.

However, no new encounter is ever like the one in the past, so Flick’s side will need to tell themselves that they need to work even harder to get a win here. After all, both sides will be going all out in this fixture.

In terms of form, Barcelona is clearly the superior team here. With four wins and one draw in their last five games, the Catalan giants are flying high in both the Champions League and La Liga, with Flick’s team leading the league by seven points.

As for their goals, they have scored 16 in their last five games while conceding six in return. A strong goal difference, and it clearly showcases that the team has managed to strike a good balance in both attack and defense.

Atletico Madrid, on the other hand, have three losses and two wins in their last five games. In fact, they have three straight losses in their last three games, and things are not looking too good for Simeone and his men.

As for their goal difference, they have scored 11 and have conceded 10 in return. Barely a positive difference, and it highlights the fact that this team can be hurt if attacked the right way.

Either way, this first leg is only the first battle that these two sides are set to clash in. While the second leg awaits in Madrid, Barcelona will look to get a positive result here, while Atletico Madrid will likely look to play in a more pragmatic fashion.