Barcelona take on the visitors Atletico Madrid in the round 18 match of Spanish LaLiga. The match will be played on Saturday, December 21st at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys (Barcelona).
Barcelona has been raising more questions than answers lately. The Blaugrana ended last season without a single trophy, a stark contrast to their 2023 campaign when they secured both the Supercopa and La Liga. This failure cost Xavi his job, despite his initial decision to stay on. Joan Laporta eventually dismissed him, appointing Hansi Flick as the new head coach. Under Flick, the team made a promising, albeit uneven, start. His tenure has already featured memorable victories, including decisive wins over Bayern and Real Madrid. In the Champions League, Barcelona is well-positioned to advance to the knockout stages, unlike several other tournament favorites. However, their La Liga campaign has faltered. November saw the Catalans earn just one point from three matches. Following a 5-1 win over Mallorca, they squandered a lead in Seville, drawing against Real Betis. Last week, they suffered a shocking 0-1 defeat to Leganés at the Camp Nou.
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Atlético Madrid showed resilience last season, securing a place in the Champions League knockout stages after missing out in 2022. However, their domestic campaign had its challenges, as they struggled to break into the top four for much of the season. Ultimately, they failed to overtake Girona but capitalized on Athletic Club’s late-season focus on the Copa del Rey to snatch 4th place. This summer, Atlético made significant investments to strengthen their squad, including signing Julián Álvarez from Manchester City. The influx of new players led to early-season inconsistency, sparking rumors of Diego Simeone’s potential departure. Yet, "El Cholo" once again stabilized the team. They are now among the leaders in their Champions League group and have caught up with their eternal rivals in La Liga. A gritty 1-0 victory over Getafe in the last round demonstrated their growing confidence.
Barcelona has dominated this matchup recently, winning all five of their last encounters with Atlético. Despite Barcelona being labeled as favorites, Atlético Madrid looks equally strong, if not better, in their current form. Betting on Atlético to avoid defeat (double chance: draw or win) in Catalonia seems like a smart choice.
Prediction for the match: Atletico Madrid not to lose (X2).
