The Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona match will take place at the Metropolitano on Sunday, November 8, between the top two teams in the La Liga table.
Barcelona are two points ahead of Atletico, so a win in the Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona match will catapult Diego Simeone’s men to the top position in the league table.
Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona: Three Things to Watch Out For
#1. Will Atletico Play With a 4-4-2 Formation?
Atletico played with a 4-4-2 in their 0-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the fourth round of the UEFA Champions League. Playing with the same formation will pit Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth against a Barcelona defence that is not at its strongest.
Eric Garcia will struggle to make it to the playing XI, and Andreas Christensen will miss the match. Hence, it will be up to Pau Cubarsi and Gerard Martin to deal with Atletico’s front two in the Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona match.
#2. Atletico’s Midfield Coming Up Short Against Barcelona’s
Should Atletico go into the match with a 4-4-2 formation, it will make their central midfield too light against Barcelona’s strong one. Rodri will miss the Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona match due to an injury, but the likes of Pedri, Gavi and Fermin Lopez will be there to sway things in the Catalans’ favour in the middle of the park.
Dominating the midfield battle will mean that Barca will dominate ball possession, which will mean that Atletico might have to resort to playing long balls to the front two in a counter-attacking style. It remains to be seen whether Simeone opts for a 4-2-3-1 to counter Barcelona’s midfield in the Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona match.
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#3. Cristian Romero’s Absence Affecting Atletico’s Defence
Romero will miss the Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona match due to an injury, and his absence will give the mighty Barcelona attack a lot of chances to hurt the home side on Sunday. Barcelona are already very strong in attack and are averaging more than three goals per match in La Liga this season.
The duo of Raphinha and Lamine Yamal will fancy their chances against an Atletico defence without Romero on the day. Raphinha has scored 19 goals this season already. It remains to be seen whether a relatively inexperienced Atletico defence can keep the very strong Barcelona attack at bay.
Extra Time Notes
Barca are the favourites going into the match, given their current form. However, Atletico beat Real Madrid at home in September and will fancy their chances against a depleted Barcelona defence.
The challenge for Atletico will be to stop the marauding Barcelona attack from scoring goals. If they play off a low block, the pressure is likely to be too much on their defence. If they try to take the attack to Barca, Raphinha and Yamal are likely to exploit any free space in the opposition half.
It should be an absorbing match, and the winner will have a great boost in their confidence. It remains to be seen as to which of the two teams emerge victorious in the end.
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