Barcelona and Atletico Madrid face off for the primary time this season tomorrow evening at their non permanent residence in Montjuic.
For months, there have been talks of shifting the sport to america however the deal finally collapsed and ensured that the sport happen as scheduled in Barcelona.
Hansi Flick and Co. shall be delighted to have the followers’ backing for the conflict in opposition to Diego Simeone’s males tomorrow for it would have an enormous say in how the title race shapes up.
Each groups have had contrastingly totally different campaigns to date this season. Whereas Barcelona have been on hearth till October, they appear to have run out of gas of late and have seen a giant dip in kind.
Atletico Madrid, in the meantime, have been on hearth because the finish of October and are on a run of 11 straight wins since then.
Barça Common brings you three speaking factors forward of Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid.
A six-pointer
The La Liga conflict this weekend at Montjuic has been spoken about quite a bit in latest days, and the hype round it’s justified if one considers the sheer penalties that the consequence will bear.
For starters, any recreation between two of Spain’s top-three groups is one to behold, extra so when each groups have made a robust begin to the season. Nonetheless, Saturday’s match has added weight to it when one considers the league standings.
After a flying begin to the season, Barcelona have slowed down since November and have struggled within the competitors with defeats and attracts outnumbering their victories. Because of this, they’ve forfeited their lead and are on 38 factors after 18 video games.
Atletico Madrid, in the meantime, have been largely constant within the league and sit on the identical level tally because the Catalans, albeit having performed one recreation much less.
A win tomorrow for Los Rojiblancos, thus, would take them three factors away from Barcelona with a recreation in hand, enabling a digital distinction of six factors.
Ought to Barcelona win, nevertheless, they may transfer three factors away from Atletico Madrid and make sure that the Madrid-based facet stay on stage phrases with them even when they win their recreation in hand.
The margin between victory and defeat tomorrow, thus, is six factors and it’s all the extra worthwhile when one considers that it’ll present its impact proper on the high of the desk.
A large damage blow
No Lamine Yamal tomorrow. (Picture by Alex Caparros/Getty Pictures)
Hansi Flick and Co. have been unfortunate in assault in latest weeks and the fatigue felt by star gamers together with Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, and Raphinha has a giant half to play in the identical.
With every week’s relaxation below their belt, one can anticipate the Catalans assault to show up recent tomorrow, though there shall be one notable absentee – Lamine Yamal.
The teen was injured in Barcelona’s recreation in opposition to Leganes and is out for 3 to 4 weeks.
Yamal’s absence simply forward of the sport in opposition to the Colchoneros, for sure, doesn’t bode nicely. In spite of everything, Barcelona haven’t fared nicely in his absence to date this time period.
All indicators level to Ferran Torres being the person who will substitute the winger on the evening though it stays to be seen which wing he begins on. Whereas he’ll present options in entrance of the purpose, it’s Yamal’s chance-creation that shall be direly missed.
With the Golden Boy unavailable, it will likely be important for Dani Olmo and Pedri to step up from midfield with the artistic passing. Furthermore, the strain on Jules Kounde will improve for he is not going to have his standard companion to mix with on the proper.
The Montjuic curse
The Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys has served Barcelona nicely as a foster residence over the previous 12 months and the Blaugrana could be tied all the way down to the identical venue till subsequent season.
Whereas it has normally bode nicely for the staff to play at Montjuic, nevertheless, latest video games haven’t seen any such further luck.
Barcelona’s final two video games at residence, in spite of everything, have resulted in defeats in La Liga and it’s extra surprising that each defeats got here in opposition to groups that have been relegation-threatened on the time of the sport.
Flick’s males have surprisingly struggled to carry their very own at their fortress in latest weeks and the truth that the one two defeats of their final seven video games each got here at house is worrying.
Taking over Atletico Madrid at residence tomorrow, there’ll thus be a way of urgency in breaking free from that curse and returning to successful methods at Montjuic. A fiery environment is predicted and the president has known as for followers to return out in giant numbers.
Notably, Atletico Madrid have struggled to defeat Barcelona away from residence through the years and Simeone has by no means gotten the higher of them on the street.
Will the Montjuic curse or the Simeone curse prevail tomorrow?