All is not well in Catalonia at present, with a 4-0 first leg humbling by Paris Saint-Germain last week leaving them on the verge of being eliminated from the Champions League in the round of 16. Head coach Luis Enrique has come in for heavy criticism from many supporters following that debacle at the Parc des Princes, although it is certainly worth noting that some fans are keeping faith with the man who guided Barca to a treble in 2015. A narrow and fortuitous 2-1 victory over Leganes, secured thanks to a late penalty from Lionel Messi, did not exactly improve the mood around Camp Nou last time out, as Barcelona just about kept their slim title hopes alive against the promoted outfit.
Atletico Madrid, conversely, have returned to form in recent weeks, which culminated in their 4-1 thrashing of Sporting Gijon. Diego Simeone’s side are now unbeaten in eight top flight matches, while three successive successes against Leganes, Celta Vigo and Sporting seeing them tighten their grip on fourth place and the final Champions League qualification spot in Spain. It has still been a rather underwhelming campaign for the capital club, who have become used to challenging Real Madrid and Barcelona right at the very top of the table in the last few years, but there is plenty to play for in the final three months of the season – both in Spain and on the continent.
Rafinha, Javier Mascherano and Arda Turan are all hoping to be in contention this weekend following various injury lay-offs, but Aleix Vidal is out for the remainder of the season. Luis Enrique will not change his 4-3-3 configuration despite his team’s recent struggles, with world-class attacking trio Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez almost guaranteed to pose a threat to Atletico in the final third of the field.
Tiago and Diego Godin look set to miss out for the hosts, while Juanfran and Augusto Fernandes will definitely play no part at the Calderon. Simeone will stick with his favoured 4-4-2 formation for the visit of the champions, with Antoine Griezmann likely to be partnered up front by Fernando Torres, whose recent performances have pushed Kevin Gameiro down to the substitutes’ bench. At the back, Lucas Hernandez and Stefan Savic will have to be on guard against Barcelona’s fabled front three.
Barcelona’s problems both on and off the pitch means it is probably worth backing Atletico Madrid to continue their positive run of form with another triumph in front of their own supporters this weekend. Simeone’s charges will make life difficult for their opponents at the Vicente Calderon, and the Argentine may opt to go back to basics in a bid to beat Barca. A narrow home win is a tempting proposition, while Griezmann would be an astute choice to find the back of the net anytime.
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