Atlético Madrid host Barcelona in the derby of the 12th round of La Liga. The match at „Riyadh Air Metropolitano“ kicks off at 21:00 local time, or 22:00 Bulgarian time. With a victory, the hosts will collect 31 points and overtake the Catalans in the standings.
Barcelona are top with 30 points from 11 matches, in which they have recorded 10 wins and one defeat. Hansi Flick’s side are the highest-scoring team in the league with 46 goals, but have conceded 12. Atlético are second with 28 points, nine wins, one draw and one defeat. Diego Simeone’s team have scored 22 goals and conceded just eight.
The hosts are chasing an eighth consecutive victory
Atlético enter the match on a run of seven successive La Liga wins. In their last five games, the Madrid side beat Real Madrid 2:1, Alavés 2:1, Espanyol 1:0, Deportivo La Coruña 1:0 and Levante 2:0. The run has brought the team close to the top and turned the clash with Barcelona into a direct battle for first place.
Barcelona will also be looking to build on their good response after the defeat to Real Madrid. The Catalans have won their last two matches, beating Alavés 6:1 in the league and Aston Villa 3:0 in the Champions League.
„Our plan for Sunday is to win away against Atlético Madrid,“ Hansi Flick said after the victory over Aston Villa.Barcelona have the edge in recent meetings
In the last five meetings between the two teams, Barcelona have three wins, while Atlético have won twice. The Catalans won 2:1 on their last La Liga visit, while the Madrid side secured a 2:0 victory in the Champions League. The two teams also met in the Copa del Rey semi-finals, where they traded convincing home victories.
The result in Madrid will have a direct impact on the title race before the international break. A draw would keep Barcelona top, while a home victory would see Atlético go top of the standings for the first time this season.
Sources: as.com, europapress.es, sportsmole.co.uk