FC Barcelona vs Atlético De Madrid, LALIGA’s Battle Of Ex-Teammates – Forbes

This Sunday, December 3rd, FC Barcelona hosts Atlético de Madrid in what promises to be another intriguing encounter between two of LALIGA’s best sides. The two sides enter the game level on 31 points, although Los Rojiblancos (The Red and Whites) have a game in hand. Trailing Real Madrid and Girona by four points, nearly halfway through the season, this clash could help decide who is a serious title contender and who will be fighting for fourth place.

This could be the moment for Diego “el Cholo” Simeone’s side to finally win in Barcelona. Despite winning two LALIGA titles, two UEFA Europa Leagues and one Copa del Rey since the Argentine took over in 2011, under Simeone’s charge Atleti has never won a league game against FC Barcelona in the Catalan capital. In fact, Atlético hasn’t won there in the league for almost twenty years. But with Barça in the post-Messi era, suffering from injuries, and a minor goal drought – Barça hasn’t scored 3+ goals in a game since September 23rd – there is no better time for el Cholo’s team to snatch victory in Catalonia.

Atleti versus Barça is not a traditional rivalry. Both sides have crosstown rivals, and Barca’s biggest game of the year is always against the other team in Madrid, but since Simeone took the reins at Atleti this duel has had a little extra spice to it. Los Rojiblancos famously won their first title under Simeone thanks to a 1-1 draw at the Camp Nou on the final day of the season. They also knocked a Messi-led Barcelona out of the Champions League quarter-finals twice, in 2013/14 and 2015/16.

This duel’s intrigue is added to by the fact that in recent seasons, Antoine Griezmann, Luis Suárez and now João Félix have crossed the divide. On Sunday, Félix – who is on loan at Barcelona – will line up against his former teammates for the first time. Since relocating to Catalonia he has seemed a completely different player; rejuvenated by the faith that Xavi has placed in him.

Speaking to the media at a LALIGA Spotlight event co-hosted by LALIGA and ESPN, Atleti goalkeeper Jan Oblak intimated that years of playing together will not help him stop his former teammate from scoring, nor will they help Félix score. He was happy to admit that “he (Félix) is a quality player and can do amazing things at any moment,” but admitted that in the world of technology and analytics, even without seeing someone in person you already know them because of video analysis. It’s safe to say there will be no secrets on Sunday, and Oblak will expect plenty of action from Félix, Lewandowski and co.

The defending champions will have it tough against LALIGA’s 2023 form team. Since going out of the Champions League in December of last season, Atlético have been in excellent form, thanks in large part to Antoine Griezmann. The team is averaging 2.3 goals per game in the league and has already qualified for the next phase of the Champions League, a pretty important result given Oblak says the competition “is getting more complicated every year.” Griezmann’s contribution to the cause so far has been thirteen goals and one assist in all competitions this season.

The Frenchman might be Atlético’s key to success against Barcelona. Despite being voted just 21st in the Ballon D’Or rankings, Griezmann is in his best form since his return to the capital. In fact, he is just a few goals away from breaking Luis Aragones’s record as the all-time leading scorer for the club (173 goals). When asked if this is the best version of the Frenchman, Oblak gave a wry smile and said “it’s a very good version,” but he admitted he has had other very good seasons as well. Regardless, Oblak thinks “he will be very influential” on Sunday and noted that “if he plays well, we have a better chance of winning,” although he stressed that everyone will be important and that the team is not reliant on one player.

Griezmann’s form may also be thanks to adjustments in Simeone’s tactics over the past year. Since the Argentine’s take over at the end of 2011, Atletico has been a difficult and uncompromising team to play against, but many critics have complained that their style has been tough to watch. However, that is changing, as shown by the increase in goals scored per game. Oblak says the team has evolved over the years and are now playing slightly different than before, noting “we have always defended well, and maybe we didn’t score too much, but now we score more and probably concede a little more too.”

Toppling the defending champions at home will be no easy feat. While Atletico are scoring goals for fun, their away form has still been underwhelming, only winning 50% of their games on the road. And while Barcelona may be without Gavi and possibly keeper Ter Stegen, the rest of the squad will be ready to put three points between them and their Madrid counterparts. With both clubs chasing Real Madrid and Girona, neither Barça nor Atleti can afford to drop points in Sunday’s clash. Expect fireworks.