One of the most anticipated clashes in La Liga after the two weeks of international break occurs at the Wanda Metropolitano this weekend. Atletico Madrid plays host to rivals Barcelona on Saturday with kickoff at 11 pm.
Atletico is currently having an excellent start to the campaign while being third on the table. On the other hand, things are not rosy for the Catalans, now eight on the table with only seven points from the opening seven matches.
Atletico is currently taking advantage of giants Los Blancos and Catalans with issues at the start of the season. A win against a disgruntled Ronald Koeman’s side will put the side in contention for a title race.
Simeone puts the best foot forward for his side picking five wins and drawing two of their seven matches to land the third spot on the table. The side currently sits three points behind leaders Real Sociedad with two games in hand.
On the other hand, Barca headed into the international break on the back of a 5-2 over Real Betis. The win marked their first one in the league since the start of October. It has been a struggle for the Calatans to regain their glory days since their exit from the Champions League semi-finals. From their seven matches, Koeman managed to pull off three wins, two draws, and two defeats.
Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona Head to Head
Both sides have 42 games against each other, with Atletico Madrid taking home seven wins while Barcelona with 24 wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
Atletico Madrid 4-0 Cadiz
Lokomotiv Moscow 1-1 Atletico Madrid
Osasuna 1-3 Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid 3-2 Red Bull Sallzburg
Atletico Madrid 2-0 Real Betis
Away
Barcelona 5-2 Real Betis
Barcelona 2-1 Dynamo Kyiv
Deportivo Alaves 1-1 Barcelona
Juventus 0-2 Barcelona
Barcelona 1-3 Real Madrid
Atletico Madrid Team News
Luis Suarez is unavailable for selection against his former club after testing positive twice for coronavirus. Simeone faces a large absentee list ahead of the clash due to coronavirus, with players such as Lucas Torreira, Stefan Savic, Mario Hermoso, and Hector Herrera unavailable.
Barcelona Team News
Ansu Fati continues rehabilitation after going through knee surgery and remains unavailable till next year. Phillippe Coutinho is available after progressing well from a hamstring injury. Antoine Griezmman is pushing for a start in the final third.
Prediction and Odds
We find it difficult to separate the two teams who locked horns last season, ending in a 2-2 draw.
Draw
Both Teams to Score
Goals Over 2.5
