Who: Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona
What: Spanish LaLiga
The place: Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid, Spain
When: Sunday at 9pm (20:00 GMT)
Comply with Al Jazeera Sport‘s stay textual content and photograph commentary stream.
Atletico Madrid doesn’t have a lot time to linger on its painful Champions League exit towards Actual Madrid.
One other essential recreation awaits on Sunday, this time towards Barcelona within the tight battle for the Spanish league title.
Al Jazeera seems forward to one of many largest video games within the Spanish soccer calendar:
How are Atletico Madrid and Barcelona faring in LaLiga?
Atletico are a degree behind Barcelona in second and 4 factors behind leaders Madrid within the three-way combat for the trophy.
Actual have performed two extra video games than Barca and yet another than Atletico.
So Diego Simeone’s workforce can hardly afford to lose on Sunday however should shortly recover from one other excruciating defeat to their fierce crosstown rival within the Champions League on Wednesday.
What occurred in Atletico’s Champions League Madrid derby?
Atletico misplaced in a penalty shootout to Actual after Julian Alvarez’s spot kick was disallowed for a double contact. Solely a video overview noticed the primary contact when Alvarez’s help foot slid and gently nudged the ball earlier than he impacted it along with his different foot and despatched it into the online.
“Truthfully, it isn’t simple to recover from the best way we misplaced this tie. We will’t misinform ourselves,” Simeone mentioned after the match.
The place might the match be received on Sunday?
Simeone acknowledged that Barcelona might have a bonus each bodily and emotionally after Hansi Flick’s aspect received an additional day’s relaxation after their victory towards Benfica on Tuesday to advance to the Champions League quarterfinals.
“We face an amazing rival on Sunday. I think about the Barcelona gamers have been wanting our recreation to go so long as it might, to achieve penalties,” Simeone mentioned. “We’ll arrive drained and beat up after having fought arduous in a tie that demanded we give it our all, however we are going to throw the whole lot we’ve left” at Barcelona.
Wonderful reminiscences from our final LaLiga recreation vs FC Barcelona pic.twitter.com/ztLACCN3bL
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) March 15, 2025
How has the rivalry panned out not too long ago?
Atletico have confounded Barcelona twice this season. Late targets by Alexander Sorloth snatched a 2-1 win at Barcelona within the league and a 4-4 draw within the opening leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal.
However Barcelona have gone unbeaten in 17 straight video games throughout all competitions since that loss to Atletico in late December.
Atletico will even host Barcelona subsequent month to resolve their Copa del Rey semifinal.
What’s Barcelona’s tackle the match?
Flick warned his Barcelona stars they should focus to keep away from crumbling towards Atletico Madrid as they’ve of their earlier two conferences this season.
“We’ve got had actually two nice matches, and naturally, we’ve to be targeted from the start to the top of the match,” Flick informed reporters on Saturday.
“Within the first match, on the finish of the match, we weren’t so targeted like we may be, and in addition the second match was [the same] to start with and in addition on the finish, so we’ve to take care about that.
“If you make errors, Atletico can harm you, and that is what we’ve to defend towards.”
No days off
#AtletiBarça pic.twitter.com/iuQRV2QRWk
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 15, 2025
How will Flick resolve the Olmo-Gavi headache?
Dani Olmo is seemingly forward of Gavi within the pecking order for the attacking midfield spot for Barca.
Gavi and Barca defender Alejandro Balde weren’t included within the Spain squad that may face the Netherlands within the Nations League quarterfinals subsequent week, however the Barca coach hailed each gamers.
“[Gavi] got here from an enormous harm, and he’s 20 years outdated, and now in the meanwhile, he’s, I feel, not the primary [choice] … a harder scenario, however he’s doing nice,” Flick mentioned.
“In the mean time our midfield is doing actually good. I’m glad he’s right here, and I feel he’ll play many, a few years for this wonderful membership and be one of many superstars right here.
“He can enhance lots. He’ll do that. His perspective is unbelievably good. He’s actually targeted and actually glad he’s right here.
“I feel for the World Cup 2026, he can be there and have the ability to play, one hundred pc.”
Pleased Gavi.
pic.twitter.com/Eh0tos7Uhi
— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) March 14, 2025
Flick added that Balde was “probably the greatest” left backs on the earth and in addition praised veteran centre again Inigo Martinez, who was known as up for Spain by nationwide workforce coach Luis de la Fuente.
“Along with his perspective and mentality, he’s unbelievably good for each workforce,” Flick mentioned.
Atletico Madrid type information:
W-D-W-L-L
Barcelona type information:
W-D-W-W-W
Atletico Madrid workforce information
Angel Correa is suspended for the match after his purple card within the 2-1 defeat to Getafe final weekend.
Koke stays a doubt with a knock whereas Rodrigo De Paul is ready to overlook out.
Barcelona workforce information
Marc Bernal and Marc-Andre ter Stegen are nonetheless long-term absentees with knee accidents, however Andreas Christensen is again in coaching with the squad.
Atletico Madrid’s possible beginning lineup:
Jan Oblak; Nahuel Molina, Jose Maria Gimenez, Clement Lenglet, Reinildo; Giuliano Simeone, Rodrigo De Paul, Pablo Barrios, Conor Gallagher; Antoine Griezmann, Julian Alvarez
Barcelona’s attainable beginning lineup:
Wojciech Szczesny; Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Alejandro Balde; Frenkie De Jong, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Raphinha; Robert Lewandowski
