Barcelona are looking to end a run of three winless matches as they host Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Sunday.
The league leaders appear to have hit a rough patch in recent weeks having failed to win their last three matches across all competitions. It all started with a 4-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the Copa Del Rey which was followed by successive 0-0 draws with Girona and Getafe in their last two La Liga fixtures.
Having established a solid lead at the top, Barcelona will feel confident of riding out this rough patch without much damage to their title hopes. Xavi’s men remain 11 points clear of Real Madrid but their lack of goals is worrying having failed to score in their last three matches with Robert Lewandowski in the middle of a drought.
One positive about Barcelona’s recent struggles is that while things are rough in attack, they have lost none of their defensive solidity. They head into Sunday’s clash with eight clean sheets in their last 10 La Liga matches.
While Barcelona are in the middle of a slump, Atletico Madrid appear to have found their rhythm. They look a different side since the turn of the year and are unbeaten in their last 13 La Liga matches, claiming 10 wins in that run.
Atletico Madrid are coming off a 2-1 victory over Almeria in their previous La Liga fixture. Antoine Griezmann netted a first half brace and despite also conceding before the break, they were able to hold on and see out the win.
The key to Atletico Madrid’s resurgence in the second half of the season is the rediscovery of their trademark defensive discipline. Diego Simeone’s men have conceded no more than one goal a game in recent weeks and travel to Camp Nou with three clean sheets in their last five away matches.
How the bookies view it
Barcelona have the upper hand among the bookies with a home win priced at evens with 10bet. A victory for Atletico Madrid is valued at 3/1 by Paddy Power while a draw is set at odds of 23/10 by bet365.
Head to head
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have claimed three wins each and two draws from the last eight meetings. The Catalans earned a 1-0 victory in the reverse fixture back in January.
Players to watch
The solid backline has been one of the more impressive aspects of Barcelona’s campaign as they boast the best defensive record in La Liga. Jules Kounde and Ronald Araujo have been pivotal at the back and can lead the Catalans to a clean sheet at 7/5 with William Hill.
Atletico Madrid have already built a reputation over the years as a defensive side and are looking like their old selves lately. Mario Hermoso and Jose Gimenez should continue at centre-back and can lead the visitors to a clean sheet at 16/5 with William Hill.
Anything else catch the eye?
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have produced under 2.5 goals in four of their last five meetings and a similar outcome is priced at 8/11 by Unibet. With both teams boasting a solid defence, BTTS NO can also be considered at 20/23 with BetVictor.
The Catalans have been level at the break in three of their last four La Liga matches and Sunday’s clash could be tipped to produce a halftime draw at 57/50 with Unibet.
This La Liga match between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid will be played on Apr 23, 2023 and kick off at 15:15. Check below for our tipsters best Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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