Atletico Madrid – FC Barcelona
On Sunday evening, an absolute top game of the Spanish league will take place at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. Atlético Madrid will host league leaders FC Barcelona in a game that could be crucial for both teams. Only one point separates the Rojiblancos in third place from the leaders from Catalonia. Hansi Flick’s side travel with a flawless winning streak behind them: Five straight Bundesliga wins and a convincing 3-1 Champions League victory over Benfica have provided a tailwind. On the other hand, Diego Simeone’s team suffered a bitter setback in the midweek round of 16 first leg, when they went out despite a 1-0 lead after 120 minutes in a penalty shootout against arch-rivals Real Madrid.
It will be interesting to see how Atlético deal with this disappointment mentally. The last league clash between the two teams in December ended with a 2-1 win for the Madrilenians – one of Barcelona’s few slip-ups this season. Before that, however, Barça had won three consecutive games against Atlético, and in a spectacular Copa del Rey tie in February, the two teams drew 4-4. For Atlético, it’s now a matter of keeping up with the top of the table, while Barcelona could consolidate second place and overtake Real Madrid with a win. It is possible that Simeone will again rely on defensive specialists like Reinildo or Gallagher, who have recently promised stability.
Atletico – Barcelona Info
- Venue: Riyadh Air Metropolitano, Madrid
- Date and time: 16/03/2025, 21:00
- Competition: La Liga
Atletico form & balance check
Atlético Madrid are going through a turbulent phase. The recent defeat in the Champions League last 16 to city rivals Real Madrid – a dramatic penalty shoot-out after 120 intense minutes – highlights both the strengths and weaknesses of Simeone’s team. Gallagher’s early goal gave them hope at first, but in the end they lacked precision in the penalty shoot-out. In the league, the Rojiblancos are in third place with 56 points, just one point behind Real Madrid and well within reach of the top of the table.
However, their form has been declining recently: a convincing 1-0 home win over Athletic Club was followed by a bitter 2-1 defeat at Getafe. Their consistency in attack is remarkable: Atlético have always scored in the last five games – and even four times in the aforementioned 4-4 draw against Barcelona in the cup. In contrast, their defense has shown unusual gaps, which Simeone wants to close by making tactical adjustments. The experiment with Reinildo and Gallagher in the Champions League second leg was intended to bring additional stability, but was not rewarded with progression. Now, the Metropolitano hopes that snipers like Julián Álvarez and Alexander Sørloth can strike again and lead the team back to success.
As for the lineup, Atlético Madrid will likely field their familiar 4-4-2 against FC Barcelona. Diego Simeone is known to value stability and therefore is unlikely to experiment too much. In defense, Azpilicueta could take up the right wing, while Giménez and Lenglet form the center of defense. Reinildo is expected on the left side, where his qualities should disrupt the Catalans’ offensive flow.
In midfield, Gallagher, De Paul, Llorente and Barrios are available – especially as captain Koke has to sit out with a muscle injury. Griezmann and Julián Álvarez could form the attacking duo, while Alexander Sørloth can be brought on from the bench. That said, Simeone is known to make last-minute adjustments in response to the opposition.
Barcelona Form & Balance Check
FC Barcelona, meanwhile, are in impressive form. Under coach Hansi Flick, they have notched up five consecutive Bundesliga wins, coupled with a convincing 3-1 Champions League victory over Benfica. The Catalans are level on points with Real Madrid at the top of the table, but remain ahead thanks to their superior goal difference of +46. Barcelona’s forward line is particularly eye-catching: young talents like Lamine Yamal shine alongside established stars, while Raphinha scored twice in the most recent Champions League appearance.
Barça also demonstrated its strength in the league – in addition to a clear 4-0 win against Real Sociedad, there was a confident 2-0 win against Las Palmas. The team presents itself with a successful mix of aggressiveness and defensive discipline. Only in the cup against Atlético did Barcelona concede four goals recently, but this does not cast doubt on Flick’s fundamental defensive concept. After comfortably advancing to the quarter-finals against Benfica, they now face Borussia Dortmund. The current strength and burgeoning self-confidence underline Barcelona’s title ambitions, even if there are still some hurdles to overcome internationally.
Hansi Flick’s preferred system at FC Barcelona is a 4-2-3-1. Peña is likely to be in goal again, as first-choice goalkeeper ter Stegen will be out for longer with his patella tendon rupture. The back four could consist of Balde, Araújo, Martínez and Koundé, while de Jong and Pedri are expected to start in the double six.
In front of them, Olmo, Raphinha and the exceptionally talented Yamal are expected to drive the creative offensive play, while Lewandowski is expected to score as the striker. In addition to ter Stegen, the injured Christensen is still missing and will be out at least until mid-March. Flick has further options for possible tactical adjustments in the form of Torres, Fati and the recovered Gavi.
Atletico – Barcelona head to head & statistics
Barcelona have had the edge in their previous head-to-head encounters. The Catalans have won three of the last five meetings, while Atlético have only been successful once. One of those draws was the spectacular 4-4 Copa del Rey tie in February 2025. Barcelona’s dominance in the first half is interesting: in all five encounters, Barça led at the break, leaving the Colchoneros little room for an early goal of their own.
Atlético’s only victory in this period was the aforementioned 2-1 win at the Camp Nou in December 2024. On that occasion, Simeone’s side managed to control the Catalans’ otherwise potent offense. But in most of the other encounters, Atlético conceded at least one goal – which forces the Madrilenians to be particularly vigilant on Sunday as well. Given the form of both offensive lines, however, we can look forward to an exciting encounter in which neither team will back down voluntarily.
