Welcome back to TalkBarca. Our topic for today is the Match Preview between Atletico Madrid vs FC Barcelona. The International Break is over after 2 weeks of thrilling football action. Now the leagues have restarted and FC Barcelona is going, to begin with, an away game. It’s been almost one year since Barca played at the Wanda. This is surely going to be a tough match for both sides. It is only a matter of time to see who has the strongest nerve.
ATLETICO MADRID VS FC BARCELONA MATCH PREVIEW
FC Barcelona won against Atleti the last time both teams faced each other at the Wanda. Ronald Koemann surely wants to do the same again and wants to extend his winning streak in La Liga. However, it is much easier said than done. FC Barcelona is struggling with issues such as finishing problems. The defensive crisis in the team is still not completely over. However, it is still a bit better than the previous season.
There was a lot of drama during the International Break as well. A lot of players have been reported Covid positive, while there are a few injuries as well. A few players have gained form, but at the same time players have lost fitness as well. Therefore, this game is a huge challenge for Catalonia boys.
Ronald Koemann needs to come to this game with proper homework and must be very wise in choosing in the lineup. FC Barcelona has impressed in the Champions League, winning all their games, but have also struggled to get points in La Liga. Barca did win their previous La Liga game against Real Betis and that win can serve as a confidence boost. However, Atletico is not lacking behind as well. In fact, Atletico is much more impressive than FC Barcelona. They are the only team in Spain to be undefeated this season. This does not only apply to La Liga, but Atletico Madrid is one of the four teams which are undefeated this season in Europe’s top five leagues.
The stats and the recent performances of Atletico players have left no doubt that Barca boys are definitely in for a bit of struggle. It is going to come down to how well Koemann prepares for the game which is going to decide if the Blaugranas come back to their home with a win or lose.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM FC BARCELONA?
Barcelona has not impressed much in La Liga this year. The gameplay is questionable and many things about the team do not seem to be on point. However, the time period to settle in the league and gradually build up to victories is pretty much over. The league table is pretty much getting stable now and FC Barcelona must work to be on the top before it’s too late. Nothing, but a win is what Koemann needs in every La Liga game. Otherwise, FC Barcelona is going to depend upon other teams to drop points instead of taking things into its own hands.
This game is a huge challenge for every player. Barcelona is facing a few issues but has a few positives as well. Philippe Coutinho is back from injury and is very likely to feature in this game. Koemann spoke about the Brazilian midfielder in a press conference lately. He said that he was happy to have him back on the team. He said that Philippe is most likely to play against Diego Simeone’s men. However, it is still not clear if he is going to start the game or going to come later on.
Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann have been involved in some kind of controversy as well. The players made it clear that they hold nothing against each other on their social media. However, this game is another chance for them to show that every player in the FC Barcelona team is united. This is an important game for Griezmann as well because he still needs to prove his worth to the new boss. Lastly, it is still not clear if Sergio Roberto or Sergino Dest starts at the RB. We have to wait for the lineup to see that.
CONCLUSION
Atleti vs Barca is always a very fun game to watch. Barcelona needs to win this game considering that they lost in the El Classico. Bigger wins are going to heavily boost the team’s confidence and might ensure that Barca is going to perform better this season. A fun fact is that Simeone has not been very lucky against FC Barcelona. He has failed to beat FC Barcelona on 17 different occasions. He lost 11 games and drew six.
Can the same happen again today? Can Ronald Koemann out class Diego Simeone’s tactics at his own home turf? Let’s wait and see.
