Just a single point separates fifth-place Barcelona and fourth-place Atletico Madrid as the two sides prepare to do battle at Camp Nou on Sunday afternoon.
Atletico sit on 36 points – four points behind third-place Real Betis – with a game in hand over the three teams above them.
Working hard pic.twitter.com/9xXhvlQKc2— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 29, 2022
Working hard pic.twitter.com/9xXhvlQKc2
Meanwhile, Barca have 35 points to their name. They find themselves one point clear of sixth-place Real Sociedad.
The Catalan club head into Sunday’s encounter on a nine-match unbeaten streak across all competitions.
They have avoided defeat in each of their previous six La Liga clashes, picking up three wins and three draws along the way.
Xavi’s men have also lost just one of their last 11 league matches, securing five wins and five draws in the process.
It is also worth noting that each of Barca’s past four La Liga games have produced under 2.5 goals. For that reason, Sunday’s clash is likely to be a low-scoring affair.
Having lost just seven of their previous 49 matches in all competitions, Barcelona will be confident of avoiding defeat this weekend.
That said, Atletico Madrid have only lost nine of their previous 59 La Liga games – having clinched the title last season.
Not only did Diego Simeone’s men finish two points clear of second-place Real Madrid last term, but they also finished seven points ahead of third-place Barca.
With a record of ten wins, six draws and five losses this season, it’s fair to say that Atletico are enduring an indifferent campaign.
It is worth pointing out that Atletico suffered four straight La Liga losses in the lead-up to the winter break.
They are unbeaten this year in La Liga, however, having picked up two wins and a draw – including a 3-2 victory over Valencia last time out.
Head-to-head: Barcelona have failed to beat Atletico in each of their last five attempts. There have been three Atletico wins and two draws since Barca’s last victory in this fixture.
Across the past ten meetings between Barca and Atletico, the teams have produced under 2.5 goals on eight occasions.
Team news: Barcelona’s extensive injury list features Sergi Roberto, Samuel Umtiti, Ansu Fati, Eric Garcia, Memphis Depay and Alex Balde.
As for Atletico, Antoine Griezmann, Marcos Llorente and Geoffrey Kondogbia are currently sidelined with muscle injuries.
Although Atletico have started 2022 in decent form, it is important to remember that Barca have upped their game, too.
Forebet predicts that Barcelona will secure a low-scoring win over Atletico, netting no more than two goals on their way to victory.