LALIGA championship race gears up for iconic Barcelona-Atletico Madrid fixture this weekend

LALIGA is reaching the business end of the season, with the last 10 rounds of the competition starting this weekend. There is still so much to be decided, especially at the top end of the table as there are so many teams fighting for the same objectives. Atlético de Madrid and FC Barcelona are two of those teams and they will meet this Sunday in one of the most attractive fixtures remaining this term.

There is a lot at stake, given that these three points could determine who finishes where in the race for Europe. Atlético de Madrid want a victory in order to put their recent slip-up against Cádiz CF behind them and in order to maintain their lead over Athletic Club in the fight for fourth place, which is the final Champions League ticket for next season. FC Barcelona, meanwhile, are still chasing down Real Madrid, looking to close the gap on Los Blancos in the title race.

Diego Simeone’s side are currently fourth with 55 points, two ahead of their nearest challengers Athletic Club. Six points ahead of Atleti are Xavi’s side, who with 61 points are not far behind leaders Real Madrid on 69. With 10 games left to play, anything is possible for either of these teams, so long as they leave the Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano with three points. With Matchday 38 and the end of the season so close, if either team loses then they could be forced to sweat over the final weeks.

When they first met this season, in Barcelona, Xavi’s side won 1-0 thanks to a goal from João Félix, who is currently on loan from Los Rojiblancos. João Félix will once again be one of the main focal points in this match, as it’ll be interesting to see how he is received by the Atlético de Madrid fans and because he can decide evenly matched games like this one with his talent.

The good news for Xavi is that he has several players he can turn to for a golden moment. The coach also has Lamine Yamal, the breakout star of this LALIGA season, as well as Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski or João Cancelo. They’re all capable of changing a match with one piece of play.

Interestingly, Atlético de Madrid haven’t lost at home in LALIGA since January 2023, which was actually against FC Barcelona. This season, Atleti are the best home team in the competition, with 40 points from 14 games (13 wins and a draw).

It will be fascinating to observe the tactical duel between Simeone, who usually plays with five at the back, including his two wing-backs, and Xavi, who relies on wingers to generate a lot of his attacking play. The flanks could, therefore, be key for both sides. So far, Xavi has won the previous tactical battles against the Argentinian, having triumphed in all four of their meetings as coaches.

The individual battles will be interesting too, as two of the candidates for the LALIGA Pichichi Trophy are involved. Álvaro Morata has 14 goals already and is just two behind Jude Bellingham at the top of the ranking, while Robert Lewandowski is just behind on 12 goals. These two strikers will lead the lines on Sunday, as they continue to hunt for goals as part of one of the most competitive Pichichi battles of recent years.