Atletico Madrid take a two-goal advantage into their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal second leg clash against Barcelona on Tuesday night.
Atletico are looking to book their place in the Champions League semis for the first time since the 2016/17 season.
Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth were both on target in the 2-0 first leg win, with Barca playing most of the match with 10 men after Pau Cubarsi was sent off just before halftime.
This will be a tough test for Barca who have lost all six of their last matches in Europe where they lost the first leg. However, they warmed up to this with an explosive 4-1 win against Espanyol at the weekend.
Atletico on the other hand lost 2-1 to Sevilla, making the first leg win their only victory in their last five games. They have lost all the other four games leading up to this mouthwatering occasion.
La Liga leaders Barcelona must win by two clear goals to force extra time here, with this proving very possible. Will they overturn the first leg loss to book a place in the last four?
What time does Atletico vs Barcelona start?
The game kicks off at 10PM E.A.T at the Wanda Metropolitano.
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Atletico vs Barcelona team news
Despite scoring in the first leg, Sorloth may have to settle for a place on the bench as Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann get the nod.
Ademola Lookman and Giovani Simeone will retain their starting roles on the flanks, as Diego Simeone is not expected to make any changes from the side that started in the first leg victory.
Following the red card, Cubasi joins Andreas Christensen and Raphinha on the absentee list. This means Eric Garcia and Ronald Araujo will start in the heart of the Barcelona defense.
Marcus Rashford is likely to be relegated to the bench, with Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres tipped to start. Robert Lewandowski will start on the sidelines.
Atletico vs Barcelona head-to-head and current form
The visitors have a slight advantage in recent matches – winning three times compared to Atletico’s two wins. Prior to last week’s win, the hosts had demolished Barca 4-0 in the Copa del Rey semis earlier in the year.
The last time there was a stalemate between these two sides was a 4-4 thriller last February.
Atleti have lost four of their last five games – including a 2-1 loss to Sevilla at the weekend. Their opponents are on a much better run of form – winning four of their last five matches while scoring 14 goals in the process.
Current form:
Atletico – LWLLL
Barcelona – WLWWW
Atletico vs Barcelona HsH
Atletico vs Barcelona prediction
Only one of the last 10 matches between these two sides has produced one goal. This trend is set to continue as we can expect goals here as well.
Barcelona are expected to come out swinging and with a healthy lead in La Liga, they can fully focus here. With a level playing ground now, the visitors can be expected to force extra time.
Prediction – Both teams to score – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!
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