La Liga: Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid Preview, Predictions, Betting Tips, Picks

This is the preview of the La Liga derby between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, scheduled for this Sunday afternoon at the legendary Camp Nou. The hosts have a solid advantage in the standings over Real Madrid, sitting 11 points ahead of their nemesis. They didn’t win in the past two events, failing to score a goal, and for Xavi, that was something unacceptable, despite the current situation. On the other hand, Atletico is third and wants to finish the year ahead of Real.

Other than that, the Mattress Makers have an easy campaign, without too many problems nor trouble, playing without imperative and pressure, because they secured the UCL ticket long ago. 

More football previews for this weekend:

• Newcastle vs. Tottenham
• Arsenal vs. Southampton

Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid Preview

Barcelona (-105) had back-to-back goalless draws, at home against Girona and on the road versus Getafe. The latter was a fourth consecutive game for Barca played with just one side netting, and seventh in the previous nine. 

Blaugrana’s 0-4 loss to Real at Camp Nou in the second leg of Copa Del Rey, was a hard slap in the face for Xavi and his team. Losing like that to the biggest rivals is unacceptable, yet we didn’t see any reaction from Barca’s players. That’s why the former captain demands the utmost sense of urgency before this contest. 

Barca is pretty confident at home, having six victories, three draws, and one loss in the past ten at Camp Nou. In six of those meetings, they’ve managed to keep clean sheets. 

Atletico Madrid (+400) improved its form since the end of the World Cup, and they have only three losses throughout that stretch. The former champs are without a loss in the previous 11 appearances, winning nine events and recording two draws. 

Diego Simeone‘s team is riding a six-match winning streak, during which Atletico posted triumphs over Sevilla, Girona, Valencia, Betis, Rayo and Almeria. They are still one of the best defenses in Europe when playing 100%.

Atletico is still defensive-minded, although, not as much as before. Simeone is allegedly preparing the unit for the next season once the Mattress Makers have the highest possible ambitions in La Liga. With a few additions, they could endanger Barca and Real again.

Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid Latest News

Frankie De Jong, Andreas Christensen, Pedri and Dembele will all miss the weekend’s derby.

Marcos Llorente and Geoffrey Kondogbia are both suspended due to disciplinary reasons. Stefan Savic is questionable, while Memphis Depay and Reinildo Mandava are both out. 

Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid Head to Head 

Barca was better at Wanda Metropolitan in early January, 0-1, with Atletico dominating the pitch and Ousmane Dembele netting the only goal after 22 minutes of play. Four of their latest five head-to-head contests were with under 2.5 goals.

As for the games in Barca, Atletico has been without a victory at Camp Nou since 2006, and that’s probably the longest negative streak this club has against one rival. 

Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid Predictions

Barcelona has one of the toughest defenses in the history of La Liga, and this generation is the opposite of the previous ones regarding the beauty of play and efficiency. We don’t need to say too much about Atletico’s play style; that’s already been known. Therefore, under 2.5 goals is our pick here, and we will go with it.

Pick: Under 2.5 goals