After a summer-long public spat regarding Julián Alvarez, alleged illegal approaches, and, to some extent, Negreira, Atlético Madrid vs FC Barcelona is ready to kick off. This will be the first of two league fixtures the sides will play in under a month. Barcelona, who eventually lost the Alvarez war, rediscovered their own diamond in Raphinha. Meanwhile, Diego Simeone has shown he can continue to deliver brilliant soccer without depending on the Argentine striker. Heads will clash, tempers will flare, and a lot more will go down in the Atlético Madrid vs FC Barcelona game this weekend. Here is our preview:
Atlético Madrid vs FC Barcelona: 1st vs 2nd
If you’ve been following Barcelona this season, you might think that with just two losses this season and one of the best attacking outputs across Europe, they might already be 6 or 7 points clear at the top of the table. Allow me to burst your bubble and tell you that the gap between Atleti and Barca is only TWO points.
That is not Barca’s fault, but rather the run that Atlético Madrid have pulled off to start the season. The Rojiblancos have played 11 games and won 9 of them, drawing one (vs Villarreal) and losing one (vs Athletic Club). Despite a shaky start to the league campaign, they are now on a 7-game winning streak in La Liga and have earned more points than any other team in the last five matchdays. While Simeone’s men aren’t as free-scoring as Barca, with just 22 goals scored compared to the latter’s 46 (!), they have also conceded fewer goals than their opponents, with just 8 compared to 12.
Barcelona have had their incredible start to the season brought to an abrupt halt after back-to-back defeats against PSG and Real Madrid. The loss to Real Madrid in El Clásico meant that Barca fell one game short of breaking the record for the best start to a La Liga season, as they tied Real Madrid in the 1968/69 season, when they also started the season with 9 wins in a row. Hansi Flick’s team was shell-shocked during El Clásico but recovered its momentum soon after against Alavés and beat them dominantly.
Can Barça Only Beat Smaller Teams in Stature?
This is the question that fans and critics of the club are asking. Why can Barça steamroll opponents of domestic caliber, but once they face proper European teams, they seem to falter?
Before facing PSG, Barça had won every single game this season, scoring a truckload of goals against every single opponent. Opponents like Alavés, Racing Santander, and Rayo Vallecano ate 18 goals from Barcelona. However, when it came to showing up against Real Madrid, Barça only managed to net a solitary goal. Against PSG, only two.
Barça have been unarguably the most dominant Spanish side in the last two and a half seasons. But even last season, questions were asked about their ability to dispatch Champions League-level opponents. Their opponents in the next match were their kryptonite in the season prior, with Hansi Flick unable to lead his team over the line against Atleti in both the Champions League and the Copa del Rey knockouts.
This has perhaps been the only shortcoming of Hansi Flick’s tenure: Barça still are not a convincing enough team to take on the big guns. Defeats to PSG and Real Madrid are minor dents in the season, but if a defeat to Atleti also occurs next, some serious questions will be raised.
Diego Simeone on the Verge of History
Our favorite Cholo has had a long and storied career in eastern Madrid, and now he is just one game away from putting a spectacular diamond in his crown. With his victory over Levante last week, Simeone has equaled Luis Aragones’ record of 344 wins as a manager in La Liga. Aragones, himself an Atleti legend, had 344 wins in La Liga in 756 matches. Simeone has matched his number in 200 fewer games.
If Simeone beats Barcelona at home this week, he will officially become the best manager in the history of La Liga. No one is close to him for this record, as even the next-best active manager for wins in La Liga is Manuel Pellegrini with 272.
A victory for Simeone will be more than just the 345th win because it will finally end an unwanted streak. Atlético Madrid haven’t beaten Barcelona at home in La Liga since 2021, when Luis Suárez and Thomas Lemar helped them to a 2-0 win. Over five years since then, Barça have come and conquered the Metropolitano every single time in the league.
Atlético Madrid vs FC Barcelona: Head-to-Head
- This is one of the most-played fixtures in Spanish soccer, with a total of 253 official meetings.
- In those 253 meetings, Barcelona have won 116 games, Atleti 80, and there have been 57 draws.
- Barca have lost only 3 times in their 15 previous matchups. All 3 losses have come in 3 different competitions.
- Atlético Madrid was one of Lionel Messi’s favorite teams to score against, his second-best tally against a single opponent with 32 goals. (Sevilla 1st with 38)
Atlético Madrid vs FC Barcelona: Predicted Lineups
Atleti’s new signing Cristian Romero will be out of this fixture, and so will Johnny Cardoso with a thigh injury. Barcelona have a longer list, with Rodri, Dani Olmo, and Xavi Espart confirmed to be out.
Both sides are in superb form heading into this fixture, but Barça will definitely be under more pressure to deliver. Whatever the result is, it will benefit Real Madrid greatly, as José so elegantly mentioned.
Prediction: Barcelona 4-2 Atletico Madrid
Abhik Deb is an accomplished sports journalist and content creator, renowned for his innovative approach to digital storytelling within the football world. With a Master’s degree in Sports Journalism and Communications from Universidad Europea de Madrid, Abhik brings a sophisticated understanding of both traditional journalistic tenets and contemporary digital media strategies to his work. His professional journey includes a significant tenure as a multimedia journalist at Real Madrid C.F., where his contributions spanned video editing, scriptwriting, and on-camera presenting. Notably, Abhik made history as the first Indian to record a live stand-up from the hallowed Santiago Bernabéu pitch for Real Madrid TV, underscoring his pioneering spirit and influential presence. A specialist in La Liga and Spanish football, Abhik excels at captivating audiences through viral football content and insightful documentary-style videos. His natural ability to blend rigorous journalism with creative digital storytelling is evident in his independent fan channel, ‘LaLigaVic,’ where he cultivates a growing audience through engaging, original coverage of Spanish football culture. Abhik’s proficiency extends to social media strategy and audience engagement, crucial skills in today’s digital landscape. You can explore more of Abhik’s work on Hooligan Soccer and Muckrack. Connect with Abhik on Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube to follow his continuous dedication to delivering high-quality, authoritative sports content.
