La Liga Prediction: Barcelona vs Atletico Betting Tips

Battle Saturday!

Every match between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid remains one of the most anticipated in the Spanish La Liga. It is a match in which the fans are expecting a lot of intensity and passion from the players of both teams. Barcelona started La Liga in impressive form but have had a rough patch recently. Despite this, they currently occupy the top of the La Liga table with 38 points from 18 matches. In the same vein, Diego Simeone’s Atletico also started the season on a good note and have just one loss in 17 matches. Currently, they sit in second place behind Barcelona on goal difference, as they also have 38 points. 

Although Barcelona will be looking forward to the game in an attempt to return to winning ways, they risk losing their number one position on the La Liga table if they lose to Atletico Madrid. With such an important fixture on the horizon, we have analysed both teams to determine the outcome of the game. 

So, you should follow our prediction at the end of this article to see how you can make a profit from this game with successful bets. 

Barcelona vs Atletico Form

Barcelona 

Barcelona started the season on a high note, winning games against their toughest opponents. Despite losing to Leganes 1-0 last weekend, they still remain top of La Liga with 38 points in 18 matches. Currently, the Blaugrana have won 12 matches, drawn two matches, and lost four times, scoring 50 goals and conceding 20. 

Atletico Madrid 

The Rojiblancos are currently in second place in the La Liga table with 38 points from 17 matches. They are behind Barcelona on goal difference despite playing one game less. Atletico have scored 31 goals this season in La Liga, while conceding just 11.  

Verdict: 

Barcelona are currently struggling to get significant points in La Liga even though they started the season in perfect shape. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid are showing no sign of weakness in their previous matches. In this aspect, Atletico Madrid are clearly ahead of the Barcelona side.

Barcelona vs Atletico Team News

Barcelona

Barcelona are still without first-team goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen. However, long-term absentee Ronald Araujo will play in the center-back position for the Barcelona side against Atletico Madrid.

Ansu Fati and Andreas Christensen, who haven’t played enough games this season due to injuries, will be competing for the starting XI against Diego Simeone's men. Hansi Flick is expected to use the starting XI he used against Leganes in a bid to defeat Atletico Madrid.

However, mercurial 17-year-old Lamine Yamal is set to miss a few weeks due to the injury he suffered in the 1-0 loss against Leganes. The Spaniard has been consistent for the Barcelona team and will surely be a big miss for the club.

Atletico Madrid

Ahead of Atletico Madrid's encounter against Barcelona, it has been revealed that the team is currently not facing any injury crises. Simeone will be playing Barcelona with a full squad, and he will be looking forward to shocking the Catalonians.

Verdict: 

With a fitter squad and the absence of Barcelona's best player, Lamine Yamal, it is quite obvious that Atletico are stronger in this aspect. Although, this may not matter in the grand scheme of things. 

Barcelona vs Atletico Head-to-Head

Since the beginning of Spanish La Liga in the 1928/29 season, Barcelona have played against Atletico Madrid 242 times in all competitions. The Barcelona side have secured 110 wins, lost 76 times, and the remaining fixtures between the two teams ended in draws.

Meanwhile, in the last four matches between the two teams, Barcelona defeated their opponent in four straight meetings. Last season, Barcelona defeated the Diego Simeone side 3-0 away from home. On December 3, 2023, Barcelona won at Nou Camp by a goal to nil. The previous two seasons, Barcelona defeated the Atletico Madrid side 1-0 home and away.

The most interesting fact about the last four fixtures between these two La Liga giants is that Atletico Madrid have failed to score a single goal in those outings. 

Verdict: 

The head-to-head record visibly shows that Barcelona is the superior team. 

Barcelona vs Atletico Predicted Lineup

Predicted Barcelona XI: 

Pena; Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Balde; Casado, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski

Predicted Atletico Madrid XI: 

Oblak; Llorente, Gimenez, Lenglet, Galan; Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Gallagher; Griezmann, Alvarez

Kickoff Time And Venue

The Spanish La Liga match between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid will take place on Saturday, December 21, 2024, at 20:00 GMT.

Our Prediction

Attacking-wise, Barcelona are the best team in the Spanish top flight so far this season. Hansi Flick has made the Blaugrana a free-scoring team, with high intensity on the ball. Atletico Madrid have also proven to be a handful this season in La Liga. They have played some fluid football coupled with their ability to defend well against the big teams in the league. 

In this regard, we expect goals in this fixture and are predicting Over 1.5. For this option, SportyBet is offering an impressive 1.18 odds for two goals to be scored in this game.