The Matchday 18 clash in La Liga between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid will take place on December 21 at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium. Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea (Spain)
Matches – 8 (La Liga, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 23;
Average yellow cards per match – 2.9;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties – 25%.
Predicted lineups for Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid
Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Inaki Pena – Eric Garcia, Jules Kounde, Inigo Martinez, Alex Balde – Marc Casado, Pedri – Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha Dias – Robert Lewandowski.
Atletico Madrid (4-4-2): Jan Oblak – Clement Lenglet, Jose Maria Gimenez, Javi Galan, Marcos Llorente – Pablo Barrios, Rodrigo De Paul, Giuliano Simeone, Samuel Lino – Antoine Griezmann, Julian Alvarez.
The starting lineup for each team in their previous match in this tournament is provided.
Barcelona
The Catalans surprisingly lost 0-1 at home to Leganes in the last round. This was their third defeat in the last six league matches. They also dropped points against Celta and Betis. As a result, Hans Flick's side squandered their lead over their closest rivals. Ahead of Matchday 19, the club remains in first place but is already behind Atletico and Real in terms of points lost.
Due to injuries, goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, forward Lamine Yamal, defender Andreas Christensen, and midfielder Marc Bernal are unavailable.
- The Catalans have conceded in seven consecutive matches in La Liga.
- In their last seven La Liga matches, Barcelona has only won once in the second half (2 draws and 4 losses).
- The number "1" has appeared in the final scoreline in five of the club's last home league matches.
Atletico Madrid
The Madrid side defeated Getafe 1-0 at home in their last league match. This victory extended their winning streak in La Liga to six matches. Thanks to these results, Diego Simeone's team has caught up with Barcelona in points, and Atletico still has a game in hand. They also managed to overtake their city rivals Real by one point.
- The club has not lost in 17 of their last 18 La Liga matches (12 wins and 5 draws).
- The number "1" has appeared in the final scoreline in 9 of Atletico's last 12 league games.
- In 6 of Atletico's last 7 away matches in La Liga, no more than two goals have been scored.
Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid: Match Prediction
The upcoming match will feature the league leaders. The loser will likely drop to third place in the standings. The Catalans are in their worst form since the end of the 2022/23 season. The team has managed to squander a significant lead over both Madrid clubs, complicating their task of winning the La Liga trophy. It's also worth noting that Barcelona has started losing to weaker opponents – in their last two home matches in La Liga, they lost to Leganes and Las Palmas.
Atletico, on the other hand, is in excellent form. The team has lost only once in their last 11 away matches in La Liga, losing 0-1 to Betis (with 7 wins and 3 draws). I believe the visitors will play their favorite style – defensively and relying on counterattacks. Diego Simeone's side has conceded the fewest goals in the league (alongside Real Sociedad with 11 goals conceded), and I think the visitors will not allow the significantly weakened Catalans to create anything substantial at their goal. If Atletico loses, it will be by a maximum of one goal.
My prediction – Atletico Madrid with a handicap (+1)
