It’s no surprise to see FC Barcelona (currently 4th), Atletico Madrid (currently 3rd) and Real Madrid (currently first) in the La Liga top four. They are, after all, the three historically strongest clubs in the competition. But the current second place side is a major surprise in Girona.
Actually, they are level on points with Real Madrid, but sit in second place due to a tie-breaker.
FC Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid FYIs
Kickoff: Sun. Dec. 3, 20:00 CET, Olympic Stadium, Barcelona, Spain
Preview Material for Both Clubs: Team News Starting XI Predictions
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
La Liga Standing, Form: Atletico Madrid 3rd, 31 pts, WWLWW FC Barcelona 4th, 31 pts, DWWLW
Google Result Probability: Atletico Madrid 26% Draw 26% FC Barcelona 48%
So when this weekend’s blockbuster fixture in La Liga takes place, with the reigning champions Barcelona hosting Atletico, it’ll be clash of two sides chasing not just Real but also Girona. Futbol can be a crazy game sometimes! Barca and Atletico are also knotted up on points, but Atleti have gotten there in one fewer match than the Catalan Club, and they have a superior goal differential.
So without further ado, let’s get to the lineup predictions of what should be a mouthwatering fixture.
Starting XI Predictions
Atletico Madrid
Jan Oblak; Nahuel Molina, Axel Witsel, Jose Maria Gimenez, Mario Hermoso, Rodrigo Riquelme; Marcos Llorente, Koke, Rodrigo De Paul; Alvaro Morata, Antoine Griezmann
FC Barcelona
Inaki Pena; Joao Cancelo, Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Alejandro Balde; Pedri, Ilkay Gundogan, Frenkie De Jong; Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Joao Felix.
Prediction: FC Barcelona 1, Atletico Madrid 1
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.