Matchday 18 of La Liga between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid will take place on December 21 at the Lluis 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): Inaki Pena – Eric Garcia, Jules Kounde, Inigo Martinez, Alex Balde – Marc Casado, Pedri – Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha Dias – Robert Lewandowski.
Atletico Madrid (4-4-2): Jan Oblak – Clement Lenglet, Jose Maria Gimenez, Javi Galan, Marcos Llorente – Pablo Barrios, Rodrigo De Paul, Giuliano Simeone, Samuel Lino – Antoine Griezmann, Julian Alvarez.
The starting lineup for each team in their last match in this tournament is listed.
Barcelona
The Catalans suffered a shocking 0-1 home defeat to Leganes in the previous round. This marked their third loss in the last six league matches. They also dropped points against Celta Vigo and Real Betis. As a result, Hans Flick's side has squandered their lead over the closest pursuers. Ahead of Matchday 19, the club remains in first place but is already trailing Atletico and Real Madrid in terms of points lost.
Due to injuries, goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, forward Lamine Yamal, defender Andreas Christensen, and midfielder Marc Bernal are out of action.
- The Catalans have conceded in seven consecutive matches in La Liga.
- In their last seven La Liga matches, Barcelona has only won once in the second half (2 draws and 4 losses).
- The number "1" has appeared in the final scoreline of five of the club's last home matches in the league.
Atletico Madrid
In their last league match, Madrid defeated Getafe 1-0 at home. This victory extended their winning streak in La Liga to six matches. Thanks to these results, Diego Simeone's side has caught up with Barcelona in points, and Atletico still has a game in hand. They also managed to surpass their city rivals Real Madrid 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 their last 7 away matches in La Liga, more than two goals were not scored.
Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid: Match Prediction
The upcoming match will feature the league leaders. The loser will likely drop to third place in the standings. The Catalans are in their worst form since the end of the 2022/23 season. The team has squandered a significant lead over both Madrid clubs, complicating their task of winning the La Liga title. It's also worth noting that Barcelona has started losing to weaker opponents – in their last two home matches in La Liga, they lost to Leganes and Las Palmas.
Atletico, on the other hand, is in excellent form. The team has suffered only one defeat in their last 11 away matches in La Liga, losing 0-1 to Betis (with 7 wins and 3 draws). I believe the visitors will play their favorite style – defensively and relying on counterattacks. Diego Simeone's side concedes the fewest goals in the league (11 goals, tied with Real Sociedad), and I think the visitors will not allow the significantly weakened Catalans to create anything substantial at their goal. If Atletico does lose, it will be by a maximum of one goal.
My prediction – Atletico Madrid with a handicap (+1)
