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Played
February 5, 2011 9:00 PM GMT
Camp Nou — Barcelona
Referee: Javier Turienzo Álvarez
Attendance: 84766
February 5, 2011 9:00 PM GMT
Camp Nou — Barcelona
Referee: Javier Turienzo Álvarez
Attendance: 84766
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| Barcelona | 1.14 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 1.14 | 1.00 |
| Draw | 8.00 | 21.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 | 71.00 |
| Atl. Madrid | 15.00 | 71.00 | 0.00 | 15.00 | 161.00 |
La Liga Preview: Barcelona - Atletico Madrid
Barca host los Colchoneros in the weekend’s most eye-catching fixture...
By Robin Bairner
No Time To Stop
After dispatching Almeria in the Copa del Rey earlier this week, Barcelona host Atletico Madrid, hoping to break the record for consecutive Primera Division games won. Presently, Barca have 15 wins in succession under their belt, and victory at Camp Nou on Saturday night would set a new mark of 16.
Defeat against Betis around two weeks ago was a shock to Barcelona’s system, but they have digested the problems arising from that reverse and brushed off these problems impressively. A squad of largely fringe players was good enough to overcome Almeria 3-0 away from home in midweek, with the goals arriving from Adriano, Thiago and Ibrahim Affelay.
“We must try to recover in time for Saturday, as we face one of the strongest teams in the league,” Guardiola explained to the media in the aftermath of Wednesday’s win. “This is our hardest month, as we have had little rest.”
Saturday provides something of a grudge match for la Blaugrana. Though they defeated Atleti 2-1 at the Vicente Calderon earlier this season, that game will be most remembered for Tomas Ujafalusi’s crude foul on Lionel Messi, which kept the diminutive Argentine away from the pitch for a couple of weeks, and in truth the South American was lucky it was such a short period of time.
There will, therefore, be a little more edge to this game than usual, especially as Barca would go 10 points clear of Real Madrid with a win.
Should Be Doing Better
Atletico Madrid’s hopes of Champions League football next season have all but vanished as they have been unable to maintain the hot pace maintained by Villarreal and Valencia, who have opened up a gap to the main peloton of teams as they attempt to nail down a top four spot. Los Colchoneros lie a distant seventh, 11 points off the pace.
Recent results have not eased the growing pressure on coach Quique Sanchez Flores, who saw his side lose consecutive Liga matches for the first time this season when they went down against Sporting de Gijon and then Athletic Bilbao. When these opponents were dispatched in the opening two games of the campaign, los Rojiblancos were being talked optimistically of as potential title contenders. Not so now.
“We are seventh. We should be third or fourth, but we'll see what happens,” the coach lamented after last weekend’s home defeat to los Leones, in which Luis Perea did his side no favours in earning a first half red card. “It takes courage and commitment for the team to succeed. I trust my players.”
While Atleti have a miserable record against city-rivals Real Madrid, they have historically fared better against Barcelona, though they will not make Saturday’s trip with any great optimism, especially having been outplayed by the Catalans when they met in the capital earlier this term.
Moreover, recent trips to Camp Nou have ended in complete despair, losing 11 goals over the course of their last two visits to the venue.
TEAM NEWS
Barcelona
Andres Iniesta has returned to training after a back sprain kept him out of the midweek encounter against Almeria. Carles Puyol and Jeffren Suarez remain on the sidelines.
Atletico
Mario Suarez has an injury question mark hanging over his head prior to the trip to Barcelona. Luis Perea is definitely out after being dismissed last weekend. On the other hand, Raul Garcia will return to action.
After dispatching Almeria in the Copa del Rey earlier this week, Barcelona host Atletico Madrid, hoping to break the record for consecutive Primera Division games won. Presently, Barca have 15 wins in succession under their belt, and victory at Camp Nou on Saturday night would set a new mark of 16.
| Bet: | Returns: | Espanyol £55.00 | Draw £44.00 | Barcelona £16.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Espanyol £55.00 | Draw £37.50 | Barcelona £16.20 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Espanyol £55.00 | Draw £42.00 | Barcelona £15.71 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Espanyol £60.00 | Draw £41.00 | Barcelona £15.30 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Espanyol £55.00 | Draw £40.00 | Barcelona £15.70 |
|
Defeat against Betis around two weeks ago was a shock to Barcelona’s system, but they have digested the problems arising from that reverse and brushed off these problems impressively. A squad of largely fringe players was good enough to overcome Almeria 3-0 away from home in midweek, with the goals arriving from Adriano, Thiago and Ibrahim Affelay.
“We must try to recover in time for Saturday, as we face one of the strongest teams in the league,” Guardiola explained to the media in the aftermath of Wednesday’s win. “This is our hardest month, as we have had little rest.”
Saturday provides something of a grudge match for la Blaugrana. Though they defeated Atleti 2-1 at the Vicente Calderon earlier this season, that game will be most remembered for Tomas Ujafalusi’s crude foul on Lionel Messi, which kept the diminutive Argentine away from the pitch for a couple of weeks, and in truth the South American was lucky it was such a short period of time.
There will, therefore, be a little more edge to this game than usual, especially as Barca would go 10 points clear of Real Madrid with a win.
Should Be Doing Better
Atletico Madrid’s hopes of Champions League football next season have all but vanished as they have been unable to maintain the hot pace maintained by Villarreal and Valencia, who have opened up a gap to the main peloton of teams as they attempt to nail down a top four spot. Los Colchoneros lie a distant seventh, 11 points off the pace.
Recent results have not eased the growing pressure on coach Quique Sanchez Flores, who saw his side lose consecutive Liga matches for the first time this season when they went down against Sporting de Gijon and then Athletic Bilbao. When these opponents were dispatched in the opening two games of the campaign, los Rojiblancos were being talked optimistically of as potential title contenders. Not so now.
“We are seventh. We should be third or fourth, but we'll see what happens,” the coach lamented after last weekend’s home defeat to los Leones, in which Luis Perea did his side no favours in earning a first half red card. “It takes courage and commitment for the team to succeed. I trust my players.”
While Atleti have a miserable record against city-rivals Real Madrid, they have historically fared better against Barcelona, though they will not make Saturday’s trip with any great optimism, especially having been outplayed by the Catalans when they met in the capital earlier this term.
Moreover, recent trips to Camp Nou have ended in complete despair, losing 11 goals over the course of their last two visits to the venue.
TEAM NEWS
Barcelona
Andres Iniesta has returned to training after a back sprain kept him out of the midweek encounter against Almeria. Carles Puyol and Jeffren Suarez remain on the sidelines.
Atletico
Mario Suarez has an injury question mark hanging over his head prior to the trip to Barcelona. Luis Perea is definitely out after being dismissed last weekend. On the other hand, Raul Garcia will return to action.
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Field Report
Reader's Predictions
Top 3 Predictions
-
FC Barcelona 3-0 Atletico Madrid
- 17.63 %
-
FC Barcelona 3-1 Atletico Madrid
- 12.22 %
-
FC Barcelona 5-0 Atletico Madrid
- 12.15 %
| Spain - Primera Division (LIGA) | May 12, 2013 | Atletico Madrid 1 - FC Barcelona 2 |
|
| Spain - Primera Division (LIGA) | Dec 16, 2012 | FC Barcelona 4 - Atletico Madrid 1 |
|
| Spain - Primera Division (LIGA) | Feb 26, 2012 | Atletico Madrid 1 - FC Barcelona 2 |
|
| Spain - Primera Division (LIGA) | Sep 24, 2011 | FC Barcelona 5 - Atletico Madrid 0 |
|
| Spain - Primera Division (LIGA) | Feb 5, 2011 | FC Barcelona 3 - Atletico Madrid 0 |
|
FC Barcelona
    |
||
| May 19, 2013 | FC Barcelona 2 - Valladolid 1 | LIGA |
| May 12, 2013 | Atletico Madrid 1 - FC Barcelona 2 | LIGA |
| May 5, 2013 | FC Barcelona 4 - Betis 2 | LIGA |
| May 1, 2013 | FC Barcelona 0 - FC Bayern München 3 | UCL |
| Apr 27, 2013 | Athletic Bilbao 2 - FC Barcelona 2 | LIGA |
Atletico Madrid
 |
||
| May 22, 2013 | Singapore Selection 0 - Atletico Madrid 2 | FR |
| May 17, 2013 | Real Madrid CF 1 - Atletico Madrid 2 | ESPC |
| May 12, 2013 | Atletico Madrid 1 - FC Barcelona 2 | LIGA |
| May 8, 2013 | Celta 1 - Atletico Madrid 3 | LIGA |
| May 4, 2013 | Deportivo 0 - Atletico Madrid 0 | LIGA |
| Returns: | Barcelona £11.40 |
|
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| Returns: | Draw £710.00 |
|
Sign up today with Coral and get a £50 FREE bet - no strings attached! | |
| Returns: | Atl. Madrid £1610.00 |
|
Sign up today with Coral and get a £50 FREE bet - no strings attached! |
| 1 | Víctor Valdés | Goalkeeper |
| 3 | Piqué | Defender |
| 2 | Daniel Alves | Defender |
| 17 | Maxwell | Defender |
| 22 | Éric Abidal | Defender |
| 6 | Xavi | Midfielder |
| 8 | Andrés Iniesta Luján | Midfielder |
| 16 | Busquets | Midfielder |
| 7 | David Villa | Striker |
| 17 | Pedro | Striker |
| 10 | Lionel Messi | Striker |
| 13 | José Pinto Colorado | Goalkeeper |
| 15 | Gabriel Milito | Defender |
| 21 | Adriano | Defender |
| 14 | Javier Mascherano | Midfielder |
| - | Seydou Keita | Midfielder |
| 20 | Ibrahim Afellay | Midfielder |
| 22 | Bojan Krkic | Striker |
| 1 | David de Gea | Goalkeeper |
| 20 | Juan Valera | Defender |
| 30 | Tomas Ujfalusi | Defender |
| 2 | Diego Godín Leal | Defender |
| 6 | Antonio López | Defender |
| 6 | Filipe Luis | Defender |
| 5 | Tiago | Midfielder |
| - | Fran Mérida | Midfielder |
| 12 | Paulo Assunçao | Midfielder |
| 21 | Reyes | Striker |
| 16 | Sergio Agüero | Striker |
| 27 | Joel | Goalkeeper |
| 15 | Álvaro Domínguez | Defender |
| 20 | Juanfran | Midfielder |
| - | Elías | Midfielder |
| 19 | Koke | Midfielder |
| - | Diego Forlan Corazo | Striker |
| 24 | Diego Costa | Striker |
| Lionel Messi | |
| Position: | Striker |
| Squad Number: | 10 |
| Games | Goals | YC | RC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | 46 | 1 | 0 |
Lionel Messi may feel he has a personal score to settle against Atletico Madrid, having been so crudely dealt with when the sides last met. The Argentine remains the world’s best player and the jewel in Barca’s offensive crown. Already has 10 goals and four assists to his name since the turn of the year – figures an average attacker would see as acceptable over the course of a season.
| Diego Forlan Corazo | |
| Position: | Striker |
| Squad Number: | 0 |
| Games | Goals | YC | RC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Tomas Ujfalusi is sure to be given a hot reception by the Camp Nou crowd, who will well remember his challenge on Messi. The Czech defender is certainly a rugged and combustible character, and he’s sure to be put through the mental mill on Saturday night. If his concentration favours, he could well be a weak link in a defence not noted for its strength.
Barcelona remain in unstoppable form, and it’s difficult to see an Atletico Madrid side so unpredictable defensively stopping the Catalan masters. With 15 successive wins in their bag, expect Barca to make it a record breaking 16, winning with some margin to spare.
Results
Times In BST
Live
Final
scheduled
Suspended
Cancelled
Postponed
Match News
Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lionel Messi Striker Barcelona |
46 | 4 |
|
Cristiano Ronaldo Striker Real Madrid |
34 | 6 |
|
Radamel Falcao Striker Atl. Madrid |
28 | 8 |
|
Roberto Soldado Striker Valencia |
21 | 5 |
|
Negredo Striker Sevilla |
20 | 3 |
