Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid
8 May 1515hrs
Football – Spain – La Liga
Pick Barcelona
Bookmaker Betfair
Odds: 3/4 odds taken 2000 GMT, Thursday 6 May
Leaders Atletico Madrid travel to face Barcelona on Saturday with the hosts knowing a win will take them to the top of the table in one of the tightest ever title races in La Liga.
Table of Contents
Barcelona Preview – Will Barca find their best form to leapfrog rivals heading into the final three games?
Due to the quick succession of the games there was little time for Barcelona to lament their defeat at home to Granada last week. Despite taking a first half lead and looking set to go top of La Liga with five matches left, Ronald Koeman’s men conceded two goals, mainly down to some atrocious defending. How costly those dropped points will be remain to be seen but they did get back to winning ways when beating Valencia on their travels at the weekend.
Lionel Messi was at his best on Sunday, scoring two goals and he will be looking to carry that form into this huge clash.
Courtesy of a poorer head to head against Real Madrid, Barca sit in third despite being level on points with their arch rivals. So they not only have to overtake the current leaders but they’ll have to ensure they finish with a higher points total than the reigning champions.
Koeman will hope the defeat to Granada is just a blip as his team have been excellent this calendar year. That was just their second defeat in 19 La Liga matches in 2021, winning 16 of them.
Atletico Madrid Preview – Can Atleti pull of a famous victory as they look for their first title since 2014?
If Atletico don’t go on to win this title then they can look back at any number of matches where they have dropped points. What was once a double figure lead is now down to two points and they continue to look nervy in their games – something which will undoubtedly continue between now and the end of the season.
Diego Simeone’s men did record a much-needed win away to Elche at the weekend to maintain their lead and that is a third win in four. Extending that further however and they have dropped points in three of their last six. They cannot afford to drop that many points with the two giants breathing down their neck.
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The lack of wins on their travels is noticeable for Atletico. The three points won at Elche is just their third in eight games. Compare that to the start of the season when they won seven of their first nine and it’s an alarming drop off in form.
One man who will be going all out to ensure Atletico don’t blow it is Luis Suarez. Deemed surplus to requirements at Barcelona the Uruguayan has scored 19 goals in La Liga this season and would love nothing more than to make that 20 on his return to the Nou Camp.
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid Betting Advice
There’s no getting away from how huge this game is for both teams. Barcelona have to win if they are to finish as champions with games fast running out but a draw would not be a disaster for the visitors, as it would also give them the head to head over their opponents have won 1-0 in the first meeting this season.
A win would be huge for Atleti but that’s something they have no done at this venue since 2006 which is incredible when you think of their successes over the last decade.
Key Facts – Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid Betting Tip
- Barcelona have been the form team in La Liga in 2021 but let slip their chance to go top last week
- Atleti hold a two point lead over both Barca and Real Madrid as we approach the final weeks of the season
- You have to go all the way back to 2006 for the last time Barca lost to Atleti at the Nou Camp
Barcelona do have a question to answer in these big matches under Koeman having lost all three so far to the Madrid clubs. But the brilliance of Messi was there for all to see against Valencia and he can see them to a crucial three points, continuing their excellent record against this opponent.
Best Betting Odds for Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid
