Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid Prediction: The trends say Back Atleti to score First

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There's a heavyweight clash in La Liga on Tuesday night as Barcelona take on Atlético Madrid at Camp Nou. Just three points separate the teams, who currently hold first and fourth places in the table. 

Both sides would have had half an eye on this upcoming match over the past week, and it feels even bigger now courtesy of Real Madrid dropping points in three straight league games. With Los Blancos wobbling badly, the title race is wide open again, with even Villarreal in the mix after 14 matches. 

Barcelona are of course still the team most likely to capitalise on any problems at the Santiago Bernabéu. With injuries to the likes of Pedri and Raphinha, the past few weeks had the potential to be a really damaging period for the Catalans. 

Hansi Flick will therefore be delighted that his team has managed to win all four league games since losing El Clásico in October. They played well in a 4-2 victory over Celta Vigo, followed by a dominant 4-0 home win over Athletic Club, in their first game back at Camp Nou. 

However, it was less convincing on Saturday against Alavés. The Basque side are the joint-second lowest scorers in La Liga, but they took the lead inside a minute, and had a number of other opportunities. Barça came back to win 3-1, but didn't kill the game off until the second of two Dani Olmo goals in the 93rd minute. 

A clearly emotional Flick looked worn out by the end, with the home boss needing to be consoled by Raphinha in widely-circulated images. The Brazilian's return to the starting lineup, and key role in the opening two goals was one positive, while Pedri also featured for the final 30 minutes for the first time since his injury. 

It was more comfortable for Atlético Madrid a few hours later on Saturday night. At home to bottom club Real Oviedo, Diego Simeone opted to rest the likes of José María Giménez, Pablo Barrios, Julián Álvarez and Giuliano Simeone. Alexander Sørloth rotated in up front, and the Norwegian scored twice in the opening 30 minutes to set up a 2-0 victory. 

Since losing 4-0 to Arsenal in October, Atleti have won seven straight matches in all competitions. That includes a 2-0 win at Real Betis, and a 2-1 home victory over Inter in the Champions League, although it's true that they've had an otherwise favourable run of fixtures during that period. 

Atleti's record of only two wins from eight away fixtures this season remains a concern. They look capable of beating anyone at the Estadio Metropolitano, but they're going to need to show much more on the road if this season is to ultimately be a successful one. 

Los Rojiblancos did win this fixture last December. Sørloth's 95th-minute goal sealed a first ever league victory for Atleti away to Barcelona during Simeone's long reign. 

However, Barça went on to take their revenge, by knocking Atleti out of the Copa del Rey at the semi-final stage. They also won the reverse league fixture 4-2. 

Team News: 

Barcelona are expected to be missing four players due to a range of fitness issues. Fermín López, Marc-André ter Stegen, Ronald Araújo and Gavi are the unlucky quartet, although of those players, only Fermín might have been in line for a starting role if fit. 

The home boss must decide whether Raphinha and Pedri are ready to start in a game of this magnitude. He'll also need to choose between Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres up front. The Polish veteran was preferred at the weekend, but Ferran offers more movement, and could be selected on Tuesday night. 

Atleti look set to be missing two defensive regulars again, with Robin Le Normand and Marcos Llorente both carrying injuries. Otherwise, Simeone should have a full squad to pick from. 

A number of changes are expected from the weekend, with Giménez, Barrios, Álvarez and Simeone all sure to rotate back in. Álex Baena should operate behind Álvarez in attack, with the ex-Villarrreal man likely to have a key role to play.