Barcelona will be looking to bounce back from their humiliating 3-0 defeat to Benfica in the Champions League when they travel to reigning La Liga champions Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
The Blaugrana have had a disastrous few weeks on the pitch, raising the heat on manager Ronald Koeman, who could be shown the door if results do not improve quickly.
However, the Catalans will take heart from the fact that they are yet to taste defeat in the league; they’ve drawn three and won three to sit in sixth spot with 12 points, five points behind leaders Real Madrid.
Barcelona’s recent record against Atletico Madrid does not make for pretty reading. They haven’t beaten Diego Simeone’s side since 2019, with the last meeting between these two teams ending in a goalless draw.
Team News
Barcelona have been handed a fresh injury blow with midfielder Pedri ruled out of the game due to a thigh strain. However, Jordi Alba will make his return after missing the last few games with a muscle problem.
Ousmane Dembele, Sergio Aguero, and Martin Braithwaite will miss the match due to injury.
Predicted Barcelona Lineup vs Atletico Madrid (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper
Marc-Andre ter Stegen had a disastrous outing against Benfica, but he is one of the world’s best ‘keepers and will keep his place in the Barcelona lineup.
Defence
Benfica ruthlessly exploited the holes in Barcelona’s three-man defence in midweek and that could prompt Ronald Koeman to revert to a back-four.
With Jordi Alba returning to the side at left-back, Sergino Dest could move to his favoured right-back position in place of Oscar Mingueza.
Eric Garcia was run ragged by the Benfica attackers last time out and he could be dropped in favour of Ronald Araujo. The Uruguayan will partner stalwart Gerard Pique at the heart of the defence.
Alternatively, Koeman could opt for the experience of Clement Lenglet over Araujo in a game of this magnitude.
Midfield
Captain Sergio Busquets is well past his prime, but given Barcelona’s lack of real talent at the position, he will start against Atletico.
Frenkie de Jong missed the last league game due to suspension and he will walk straight back into the Barcelona lineup. With Pedri ruled out, 17-year-old wunderkind Gavi could be handed a rare start.
Attack
Considering Barcelona’s injury crisis, Philippe Coutinho should get the nod at right-wing once again. Ansu Fati is back from injury, but he still needs to gain match fitness and Koeman is unlikely to risk him against a physical Atletico side.
Memphis Depay will feature from the left. The Dutch international has been a bright spark in an otherwise ordinary Barcelona team and will shoulder the goal-scoring burden once again.
The signing of Luuk de Jong in the summer raised eyebrows and the Dutchman has done little of note to silence his critics. He had an abysmal display against Benfica, but with Barcelona lacking options upfront, the 31-year-old should be handed another start.
Predicted Barcelona Lineup vs Atletico Madrid