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 reside textual content and picture commentary stream.
Atletico Madrid doesn’t have a lot time to linger on its painful Champions League exit in opposition to Actual Madrid.
One other essential sport awaits on Sunday, this time in opposition to Barcelona within the tight battle for the Spanish league title.
Al Jazeera appears forward to one of many greatest 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 rapidly 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 evaluate noticed the primary contact when Alvarez’s assist foot slid and gently nudged the ball earlier than he impacted it together with his different foot and despatched it into the web.
“Actually, it isn’t simple to recover from the best way we misplaced this tie. We are able to’t mislead ourselves,” Simeone mentioned after the match.
The place might the match be gained 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 in opposition to Benfica on Tuesday to advance to the Champions League quarterfinals.
“We face an amazing rival on Sunday. I think about the Barcelona gamers had been wanting our sport to go so long as it might, to succeed in penalties,” Simeone mentioned. “We are going to arrive drained and beat up after having fought onerous 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 sport vs FC Barcelona pic.twitter.com/ztLACCN3bL
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) March 15, 2025
How has the rivalry panned out lately?
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 can even host Barcelona subsequent month to determine 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 in opposition to Atletico Madrid as they’ve of their earlier two conferences this season.
“We now have 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 might be, and in addition the second match was [the same] at first and in addition on the finish, so we’ve to take care about that.
“Once you make errors, Atletico can damage you, and that is what we’ve to defend in opposition to.”
No days off 💪 #AtletiBarça pic.twitter.com/iuQRV2QRWk
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 15, 2025
How will Flick remedy 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 damage, and he’s 20 years previous, and now for the time being, he’s, I feel, not the primary [choice] … a harder scenario, however he’s doing nice,” Flick mentioned.
“In the intervening time our midfield is doing actually good. I’m completely satisfied he’s right here, and I feel he’ll play many, a few years for this superb membership and be one of many superstars right here.
“He can enhance rather a lot. He’ll do that. His perspective is unbelievably good. He’s actually targeted and actually completely satisfied he’s right here.
“I feel for the World Cup 2026, he might be there and be capable to play, 100%.”
Comfortable Gavi. 🫶 pic.twitter.com/Eh0tos7Uhi
— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) March 14, 2025
Flick added that Balde was “among the best” left backs on the planet 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 kind information:
W D W L L L
Barcelona kind 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 about 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 doable beginning lineup:
Wojciech Szczesny; Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Alejandro Balde; Frenkie De Jong, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Raphinha; Robert Lewandowski
