Atlético de Madrid Vs Barcelona: Preview
This Saturday, October 2, Atlético de Madrid will host FC Barcelona at the Wanda Metropolitano, a match corresponding to date 8 of the Santander League. On this occasion everything seems to be in favor of Madrid, who will receive a Barça that is not going through its best moment nor will it have the best in the world Lionel Messi.
One of the most interesting duels will be that of Uruguayan Luis Suárez against his former team, this will be the second time that he will face them with the Atlético shirt. The first time he faced his former team was last season, a game that ended tied at zero.
This meeting will be broadcast by DirecTV from 9:00 p.m. Spain. A commitment that will be key for Ronald Koeman, who has his days numbered at the club and a loss today could trigger his immediate dismissal.
How does Atlético de Madrid get to this day of the League?
Diego Pablo Simeone's team reaches matchday 8 of the League with a 1-0 defeat last day against Deportivo Alavés, this was one of the surprises of matchday 7, but if it comes from winning the phase of Champions League group against Italian side AC Milan at the San Siro, so that away win has given them greater confidence to face Barcelona.
The match against the Italians was the revenge for the World champion striker, Antoine Griezmann, who was able to score a goal again with this shirt and thus clear doubts and criticism about his current performance. Now like Luis Suárez, the Frenchman will also face his former team with which he was part until last season and his stay there was not very successful.
Regarding his initial formation, the cholo Simeone could present some changes in the starting eleven, it is believed that he began with the defender Jose María Giménez. He has also recovered Stefan Savic, while Geoffrey Kondogbia will not be able to be from the game, since he is serving a sanction for card accumulation.
It is believed that on the right wing will be Kieran Trippier who has already recovered from his ankle injury and would be replacing the Brazilian Matheus Cunha, who is with a muscle injury.
How does Barcelona get to matchday 8 of the League?
The Barça team comes to this duel with a coach who seems to have his hours or days already numbered, although Koeman managed to make his team beat Levante 3-0 on the last day of the League, in the Champions League he could not do the same. The same, they now add two defeats on two dates of the group stage and occupy the last place in the leaderboard.
Barcelona currently occupies the sixth position of the table in the Santander League and is five units behind the leader, Real Madrid, so it will have to add three points in the Wanda Metropolitano.
On the other hand, Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has the opportunity to recover injuries and will have players like Ansu Fati at his disposal, who proved to be level on matchday 7 and Pedri. What is known for sure is that the defender of the Uruguayan team, Roland Araújo will be in the starting lineup.
Barcelona has only won once at the rojiblancos stadium, it was two years ago that Lionel Messi scored the only winning goal, a fundamental piece that the culé no longer have.
In the last meeting between the two clubs at this stadium, which was on November 21 of last year, Atlético beat Barcelona 1-0 with a goal from Yannick Carrasco.
Soto Grado, in charge of directing Atlético de Madrid Vs Barcelona
The person in charge of directing this meeting will be 41-year-old Cesar Soto Grado, he currently belongs to the La Rioja Referees Committee and since 2019 he has directed the first division. In that year Soto won the Vicente Acevedo trophy.
Possible formations for the starting eleven
· Atlético de Madrid : Oblak; Savic, Hermoso, Trippier, Giménez, Koke, Lemar, Carrasco, Llorente, Luis Suárez and Griezmann.
· Barcelona : Ter Stegen; Dest, Araujo, Jordi Alba, Piqué; Frankie de Jong, Busquets, Memphis, Coutinho and Luuk de Jong.
A game of great importance for both teams in the search for the leadership of the League, a draw could drive them both away from it, for which the most viable option for both is to add three. Two clubs and two different realities right now, Atlético that seeks to continue consolidating itself this season, while Barcelona that seeks to raise its head and move on. To do this, he must show a better image and give continuity to Ronald Koeman in the tutelage of the club.
Finally, a defeat for Barcelona today would be the end of its coach, someone who is right now more outside than inside the club. Likewise, we will see a great duel between the Uruguayan Luis Suárez who wants to give an injury to his former coach, so we will see a Uruguayan eager to score and win to silence many culés mouths who doubted him after so much.
