Match Of The Week – Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid, 21 December 2024

Right in front of your TV or streaming device is exactly where you want to be on the evening of Saturday 21 December 2024, as SuperSport presents a cracking La Liga battle between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

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Match background

These two heavyweights are very much contenders for the top honours in Spain – alongside reigning La Liga champions Real Madrid – and the chance to both put points on the board and take away potential points from a direct rival underlines the importance of this clash for both clubs.

Barcelona will bank on home comforts, with the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium providing a great atmosphere of late (ironically, given that they are potentially just a few weeks out from returning to the iconic Camp Nou), but Atletico have shown strong form in recent time and will back themselves to target some of the areas of weakness that the Catalans have shown through November and December.

Expect a high-quality, attacking clash which will feature some of the Spanish top-flight’s most exciting players, such as Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Pedri, Antoine Griezmann and Julian Alvarez.

What the teams are saying

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick on the impact of Lamine Yamal on his team:

“He's always important. He makes the difference. He could have scored one or two goals. He played very well, he assisted... he has great quality. We need him.”

Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez on continuing their form:

“We are doing very well and with a lot of confidence. Adding up several victories helps the team's confidence a lot. We must continue with humility and work to try to maintain this path because it is the right one.”

Players to watch

Lamine Yamal, Barcelona – The teenage winger continues to thrive in Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, providing assists and goals aplenty as the Catalan side looks to challenge for the Spanish La Liga title. He will hope to have a major effect on this clash against Atletico Madrid.

Julian Alvarez, Atletico Madrid – After a big-money move from Manchester City, Julian Alvarez started slowly at Atletico Madrid, but has hit fine form through November and December. The Argentine striker will be hungry to further prove himself with a powerful showing against Barcelona.

Head-to-head

In head-to-head stats, Barcelona and Atletico have met in 242 matches across all competitions dating back as far as 1925. The Blaugrana have claimed 110 wins compared to 76 for the Rojiblancos, while 56 games have been drawn.?

Barca have won their last five successive La Liga matches against Atletico Madrid, at an aggregate of 10-2. The teams’ most recent meeting was in March 2024 in Madrid, with the visitors triumphing 3-0 thanks to goals from Joao Felix, Robert Lewandowski and Fermin Lopez.

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Broadcast details

Saturday 21 December

20:00 GMT: Barcelona v Atletico Madrid – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga and SuperSport Maximo 3