Three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid lock horns at Spotify Camp Nou in an early kickoff on Sunday in the 30th Matchday of La Liga. With two of the three top Spanish teams taking to the field, the game will be the league’s premier clash of the weekend.

The two sides are in contrasting runs of form heading into the game. Diego Simeone’s side are unbeaten in their last 13 league matches and last lost to Barça in January in the competition.

Meanwhile, Barcelona are winless in their last three games across all competitions, losing to Real Madrid in Copa del Rey before being held to two goalless draws in the league. So, it is important that Xavi Hernandez & co. produce a strong reaction tomorrow at Camp Nou.

Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid.

1. Return of the midfield maestros

Injuries have marred FC Barcelona’s season in 2022/23. While it is unjustifiable to see fitness blows as an excuse for poor performance at the club, Barça’s worst moments of the season have coincided with the absence of top stars.

The Catalans’ elimination from the UEFA Champions League was down to a dire lack of centre-backs with Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, and Andreas Christensen unavailable. The loss to Manchester United in Europa League also saw the team without players like Pedri and Ousmane Dembele.

Most recently, Xavi’s men were eliminated from the Copa del Rey after they bottled a 1-0 first-leg lead. Once again, they were without Christensen, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, and Dembele on the night.

All four players have faced far longer on the sidelines than initially anticipated. Pedri and Dembele, in particular, have been out for action for more than a month after their expected return.

Sunday’s game finally harbours good news for Xavi and the Barcelona faithful. Both Pedri Gonzalez and Frenkie de Jong have been included in the squad to face Atletico Madrid. Moreover, the manager did not rule out the chance of them starting on the night as well.

Barcelona have struggled for creativity in the middle of the park over the past month. The last two games, in particular, have been horrendous on that front. Thus, the return of the midfield maestros comes as music to the ears of the coach.

It remains to be seen as to what part the duo plays on Sunday. Yet, with their midfield options back to full strength, Barcelona could just have the upper edge ahead of a tough encounter.

2. Breaking the curse

Barcelona’s last three games have been disastrous, to say the least. Since the return of club football after the international break, the Blaugrana have not only been eliminated from the Copa del Rey but also dropped two valuable points from their lead in La Liga. Truth be told, they should have faced more of the music.

The Blaugranas‘ dip began with a 4-0 humiliation at Spotify Camp Nou against Real Madrid in the second leg of the Cup semifinal. Going down by four goals after securing an advantage in the first leg took its toll on the side and the repercussions were evident.

In their very next game against Girona, Xavi’s men struggled to put the ball into the back of the net and could only salvage a draw. They should have dropped three points off the lead on the night but Real Madrid’s loss to Villarreal saved their blushes.

A week later, the theme continued. An uninspired Barcelona did not score a goal in ninety minutes against Getafe and once again settled for a stalemate. This time, however, they saw their lead in La Liga dwindle to 11 points.

After three winless games, the pressure is on Xavi and his staff to inspire the team to a win over Atletico Madrid.

3. The final major hurdle

Only nine matchdays remain to be played in La Liga including this weekend’s fixtures. Of all the games yet to come, Barcelona’s clash against Atletico Madrid will be the most difficult by some distance.

Los Rojiblancos are not far off on the league table and sit in third place with 60 points. They are 13 points behind the Catalans and just two points below Real Madrid.

Diego Simeone’s side have won 18 of their 29 matches in the league this season, losing only on five occasions. They have scored 47 goals and conceded just 21 in the process.

When the two teams met earlier this season, only 20 men remained on the field at the full-time whistle and it was the Catalans who stole a narrow 1-0 win. This time around, the game has more riding on it for a win could well seal Barcelona’s league win while a defeat would throw the race wide open.