Atlético Madrid vs Barcelona Preview, Prediction, Odds, Betting Tips 16.03.2025

• Date and Time: Sunday, March 16, 2025, 21:00 GMT+1
• Venue: Riyadh Air Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain

Atlético Madrid vs Barcelona Preview and Team News

Atlético Madrid News

Atlético’s loaded schedule had a noticeable impact on the team’s performances. They fell to Getafe in La Liga and Real Madrid in the Champions League, drew with Barcelona (Copa del Rey), Celta Vigo and Real Madrid in LaLiga. 

Atlético once again preferred to use a low block against Real Madrid, which seemed to cause issues for their opponents. This was the result of them blocking the central lanes. Although it may seem like a good plan, its drawbacks are clear. 

The Spanish club had few opportunities and when they did, they blew them. The mental and physical exhaustion was noticeable, a result of the loaded schedule and limited rotation options.

Julián Álvarez, the squad’s top contributor in recent months, had his penalty disallowed after VAR detected a double-touch. Otherwise, he remained one of the team’s top performers, even when Atlético struggled to come up with solutions in the final third. 

Now more than ever… ATLETI pic.twitter.com/pW03QFPYXS

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) March 13, 2025

The derby was not without harmful incidences including racist chants from Atlético ultras calling Vinicius a chimpanzee. Additionally, the police were forced to intervene as several hundred Madrid fans tried to enter the stadium without tickets.

Ángel Correa is suspended for the match as he insulted the referee against Getafe, calling him ‘hijo de puta’, which translates to “son of a bitch” in english. Koke is still recovering and may be called up, but he’s unlikely to be risked in such a high-intensity fixture. 

Atlético Madrid predicted line-up vs Barcelona (4-4-2): Oblak; Galán, Le Normand, Giménez, Molina; Lino, De Paul, Llorente, Simeone; Álvarez, Sorloth.

Barcelona Team News

The guests are top of the league, making the clash against Atlético even more significant. They’ll face opponents focusing on LaLiga, while Barcelona are still competing in the Champions League.

They qualified for the Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-1 win against Benfica, despite the suspension of Pau Cubarsí. They’ll face Dortmund next, who eliminated LOSC Lille. The match was an open-ended game, but the genius of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha was enough to secure a victory.

Pfff… 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/wnLgmObRNB

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 13, 2025

Following investigations into the ‘Negreira’ case—a scandal accusing Barcelona of attempting to influence referee committee chief Negreira in exchange for favorable refereeing—Sandro Rosell and Josep Bartomeu will appear in court as the accused parties.

According to Relevo, the visitors would like to propose the postponed Osasuna-Barcelona game take place on May 21st, which would turn out to be between the before-last and last matchday of the season. 

Marc-André Ter Stegen, Marc Bernal, and Andreas Christensen remain sidelined due to injury.

Barcelona predicted line-up vs Atlético Madrid (4-2-3-1): Szczęsny, Balde, Cubarsí, Araújo, Koundé; Pedri, de Jong; Raphinha, Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal; Lewandowski.

Atlético Madrid vs Barcelona Head-to-Head Statistics

These teams have played each other 57 times, 30 of which Barcelona came out victorious. Atlético Madrid won 15 of the encounters, while both shared points on 15 of the occasions. 

They last played each other less than a month ago, in the Copa del Rey semi-finals. The home squad were 2-0 up by the first half, but Barcelona came back to the score of 3-2 before the match ended in a 4-4 draw. Both sides struggled to find stability in the game.

❤️🤍 pic.twitter.com/Xr8Gp0aIOj

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) March 12, 2025

The hosts last defeated the visiting club in December, winning 2-1 despite being dominated. However, Barcelona were sloppy in the final third, which temporarily allowed Atlético to claim the leader spot in LaLiga.

Atlético Madrid vs Barcelona Player Focus

Atlético Madrid’s most in-form talent is undoubtedly Julián Álvarez, who’s been scoring both as a substitute and as a starter. His flexibility as a player has seen him rise above Antoine Griezmann as the star forward, which only a few players have managed to achieve. 

His runs off the ball keep causing trouble for opponents’ defences. Although his penalty was disallowed against Real Madrid, he remains the team’s most reliable forward.

🦍 pic.twitter.com/hAfrNpZD5G

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 13, 2025

As for Barcelona, Dani Olmo comes to my mind as an obvious threat. He’s been successful playing between enemy lines, accelerating counter-attack, and splitting defenders. Olmo likes to evolve around Zone 14 where he can find himself in advantageous shooting positions. 

Atlético Madrid vs Barcelona Analysis

Recent encounters have rarely been dull, with the 4-4 draw in the Copa del Rey confirming that Atlético can go toe-to-toe with Europe’s best. However, Barcelona are also the highest-scoring team in La Liga, reaching 71 goals in 26 matches. 

While the hosts tend to use a low block against Real Madrid, they rarely do so against the visitors. The assault, composed of Raphinha and Yamal in the wings, has all the tools to force Atlético out of their comfort zone. 

Man in command 👀 pic.twitter.com/vXg0gZFFWT

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 13, 2025

However, wing-based counter-attacks are likely to be difficult for Barcelona to handle, especially down the left-wing. This is where Balde and Martin have struggled to be impactful on the defensive end.

Atlético Madrid vs Barcelona Prediction

• Prediction: Barcelona to win
• Odds: 2.18 (22Bet)
• Score Prediction: Atlético Madrid 0-1 Barcelona

Barcelona will come with the advantage that Atlético Madrid will be demoralized and tired after their tense 120 minutes with Real Madrid. 

The guests’ Champions League match against Benfica was one day earlier, and undoubtedly less exhausting. As a result, they’re likely to come to the game sharper.

Furthermore, Barcelona were warned in the 4-4 draw that their defensive mistakes are the only factor that can prevent them from winning. In the last two encounters against Atlético, they’ve played well but lacked defensive precision to secure a victory.

This is likely to change, considering Barcelona have won all of their last five matches.

Atlético Madrid vs Barcelona Betting Tip

• Pick: Dani Olmo to score
• Odds: 3.25 (22Bet)

Overloading central areas against a three-at-the-back while having Yamal and Raphinha on the wings seems incredibly easy on paper. Olmo’s strength has always been to accelerate the team’s counter-attacks through the center. 

It only helps that Atlético can usually only initiate their attacks from a counter-attack, leaving Dani alone in Zone 14 after successfully implementing the off-side trap. 

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