Preview: Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona - prediction, team news, lineups

One of the biggest fixtures on the La Liga schedule will take place at the stunning Wanda Metropolitano stadium on Sunday evening, with Atletico Madrid welcoming Barcelona.

Both sides booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League earlier this week, with Atletico overcoming Inter Milan on penalties, while Barcelona beat Napoli 4-2 on aggregate.

Match preview

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Atletico's 2-0 loss at Cadiz in La Liga last weekend was comfortably their worst result of the season, and it was not exactly ideal preparation for the second leg of their last-16 Champions League clash with Inter.

Diego Simeone's side trailed 1-0 from the first leg in Italy, but they managed to record a 2-1 victory on the night to make it 2-2 on aggregate, with Memphis Depay levelling the tie in the 87th minute, and the Red and Whites then went on to win 3-2 on penalties in order to advance to the quarter-finals.

Atletico will take on Borussia Dortmund in the final eight of the European Cup, with the first leg taking place at Wanda Metropolitano, but the capital outfit cannot afford to take their eye off the ball in La Liga, as a top-four position in the table is far from secure at this stage of the campaign.

Indeed, Simeone's side sit fourth in the division, just two points ahead of fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao, while they are six behind third-placed Barcelona ahead of this weekend's contest.

The Red and Whites, as mentioned, were beaten 2-0 at Cadiz in the league last time out, but they have the best home record in La Liga this season, picking up 40 points from 14 matches courtesy of a record of 13 wins and one draw.

Atletico's last two wins over Barcelona have come on home soil, which should hand them confidence, and they have incredibly not beaten the Catalan outfit away from home in La Liga since February 2006.

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Barcelona, meanwhile, recorded a 3-1 win over Napoli in the second leg of their last-16 Champions League contest on Tuesday evening to book their spot in the quarter-finals with a 4-2 aggregate success.

The Catalan outfit will take on Paris Saint-Germain in the final eight of the competition, and the winner of that tie will face either Atletico or Dortmund in the semi-finals, with Manchester City, Real Madrid, Arsenal and Bayern Munich on the other side of the draw.

Barcelona are unbeaten in their last nine matches in all competitions, and they recorded a 1-0 win over Mallorca in the league last weekend to stay in the title picture.

Xavi's side are third in the table, one point behind second-placed Girona and eight from the leaders Real Madrid, who will be in action against Osasuna on Saturday afternoon.

Barcelona are on a four-game winning run against Atletico in La Liga, including a 1-0 success when the pair locked horns for the reverse fixture earlier this season, while they are unbeaten against the Red and Whites since October 2021.

The Catalan side have the second-best away record in La Liga this season, meanwhile, picking up 27 points from 13 matches, remaining unbeaten in the process.

Team News

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Atletico will again be missing Jose Gimenez and Thomas Lemar through injury this weekend, while Mario Hermoso has also been ruled out of the contest due to a thigh issue.

Antoine Griezmann was able to play 105 minutes against Inter despite a recent ankle injury; the France international now faces a late fitness test, with Simeone due to make a decision on Sunday afternoon over his involvement.

Simeone will need to assess the overall fitness of his players, but it could be a case of same again, aside from Hermoso, from the side that took to the field for the first whistle on Wednesday, with Samuel Lino getting the nod as the left-sided wing-back, and Marcos Llorente retaining his position in central midfield.

As for Barcelona, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Gavi and Alejandro Balde remain unavailable for selection through injury, but Marcos Alonso and Ferran Torres are set to return to the squad.

Lamine Yamal, 16, and Pau Cubarsi, 17, have been named in the latest Spain squad, and the duo are set to continue in the starting side on Sunday, with both players in excellent form.

Joao Felix scored against his parent club in La Liga earlier this season, but the Portugal international is expected to start on the bench here, with Raphinha likely to feature on the left.

Andreas Christensen and Fermin Lopez are set for midfield roles on Sunday, while Robert Lewandowski will be bidding to add to the 19 goals that he has managed in all competitions this season.

Atletico Madrid possible starting lineup:Oblak; Savic, Witsel, Azpilicueta; Molina, Llorente, De Paul, Koke, Lino; Griezmann, Morata

Barcelona possible starting lineup:Ter Stegen; Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Cancelo; F Lopez, Christensen, Gundogan; Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha

We say: Atletico Madrid 1-1 Barcelona

Barcelona have not conceded in their last three matches against Atletico, winning each fixture 1-0, but we are struggling to see an away success on Sunday. There has not been a draw between these two sides since May 2021, but we are expecting the points to be shared in a close game this weekend.

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