Barcelona take on Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final first leg at the Camp Nou on Wednesday.
Barcelona defeated Newcastle United 8-3 on aggregate in the round of 16, while Atletico beat Tottenham Hotspur 7-5.
Match preview
The two sides have met four times this season, with Barcelona winning three and Atletico once.
Their last encounter was on Saturday at the Metropolitano Stadium, where Barcelona won 2-1 to go seven points clear at the top of the La Liga standings.
Barcelona rank fourth for goals scored (30) and seventh for big chances created (36) in the Champions League this season.
They have also conceded 17 goals, highlighting their defensive issues.
Barcelona rank second for possession per game and are expected to dominate proceedings here.
The hosts will attack mostly from the right flank, using Lamine Yamal’s pace and skill. He recorded the most key passes in their last meeting.
Marcus Rashford and Joao Cancelo will provide attacking outlets from the left.
Barcelona have lost just twice at home to the visitors since the 2006/07 season. They will be looking to build on that impressive record to take an advantage into next Tuesday’s second leg.
Atletico rested several key players on Sunday, highlighting the significance of this tie to manager Diego Simeone.
The Rojiblancos have scored the third-most goals (31) in the competition this term and rank sixth for big chances created (37).
Atletico rank third for long balls (19.9) per game, indicating their direct style of play.
Despite being known for their solid defensive structure, they have conceded 24 goals.
Atletico will look to use their athleticism to press Barcelona aggressively. Only four teams have covered more distance per match.
Julian Alvarez and Ademola Lookman will be their main attacking threats. The duo will be fresh for this tie, having sat out Saturday’s clash.
Besides their poor record at Barcelona, Atletico have won just once on the road in the competition this season. They need a massive improvement to take a positive result into the second leg.
Team news
Barcelona’s Andreas Christensen, Raphinha, Frenkie de Jong and Marc Bernal are ruled out. Ronald Araujo is fit, despite coming off injured in the last game.
Manager Hansi Flick is expected to reinstate Robert Lewandowski into the starting line-up. Fermin Lopez or Dani Olmo could be dropped.
Atletico’s Jan Oblak, Marc Pubill and Rodrigo Mendoza have all returned to training, but Pablo Barrios remains sidelined.
Predicted line-ups
Barcelona (4-3-3): Joan Garcia, Joao Cancelo, Ronaldo Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Eric Garcia, Pedri, Fermin Lopez, Marcus Rashford, Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski.
Atletico Madrid (4-4-2): Juan Oblak, Nahuel Molina, David Hancko, Jose Maria Gimenez, Mateo Ruggeri, Koke, Alex Baena, Giuliano Simeone, Ademola Lookman, Antoine Griezmann, Julian Alvarez.
Prediction
Given Barcelona’s greater attacking prowess and Atletico’s defensive flaws, we predict a 3-2 win for the hosts.
Stats from sofascore.com & transfermarkt.com.
