Matchday 18 of La Liga will see Barcelona take on Atletico Madrid on December 21 at the Lluís 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): Iñaki Peña – Eric Garcia, Jules Kounde, Iñigo Martinez, Alex Balde – Marc Casado, Pedri – Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha Dias – Robert Lewandowski.
Atletico Madrid (4-4-2): Jan Oblak – Clément Lenglet, Jose Maria Gimenez, Javi Galan, Marcos Llorente – Pablo Barrios, Rodrigo De Paul, Giuliano Simeone, Samuel Lino – Antoine Griezmann, Julian Alvarez.
Each team's starting lineup from their last match in this tournament is listed.
Barcelona
The Catalans suffered a shocking 0-1 home defeat to Leganes in their last round. This marked their third loss in the last six league matches. They also dropped points against Celta and Betis. As a result, Hans Flick's team has squandered their lead over their closest pursuers. Ahead of Matchday 19, the club remains in first place but is behind Atletico and Real in terms of points lost.
Due to injuries, goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, forward Lamine Yamal, defender Andreas Christensen, and midfielder Marc Bernal are unavailable.
- The Catalans have conceded in seven consecutive La Liga matches.
- In their last seven La Liga matches, Barcelona has secured only one second-half victory (2 draws and 4 losses).
- The number "1" has appeared in the final scoreline of the club's last five home league matches.
Atletico Madrid
The Madrid side defeated Getafe 1-0 at home in their last league match. This 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 have also overtaken 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 of 9 of Atletico's last 12 league games.
- In 6 of Atletico's last 7 away league matches, no more than two goals were scored.
Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid: Match Prediction
This upcoming match will feature the league leaders. The loser will likely find themselves in 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 lose a significant lead over both Madrid clubs, complicating their quest for the La Liga trophy. It's worth noting that Barcelona has started losing to weaker opponents, having lost to Leganes and Las Palmas in their last two home league matches.
Atletico, on the other hand, is in excellent form. The team has suffered just one defeat in their last 11 away league matches, losing 0-1 to Betis (with 7 wins and 3 draws). I believe the visitors will play in their favorite style – defensively and relying on counterattacks. Diego Simeone's side concedes the fewest goals in the league (tied with Real Sociedad at 11 goals), and I think the visitors will prevent the noticeably declining Catalans from creating significant chances. If the Madrid side does lose, it will likely be by just one goal.
My prediction – Atletico Madrid with a handicap (+1)
Celta
Real Sociedad
Osasuna
Athletic Bilbao
Valencia
Alavés
Real Madrid
Sevilla
Leganés
Villarreal
Las Palmas
Espanyol
Real Betis
Rayo Vallecano
