Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
Barcelona travel to the Vicente Calderon and a date with Atletico Madrid that wasn't confirmed until last Thursday owing to the uncertainty over whether the Spanish Football Federation's call for a players' strike would be successful.
With the spectre of the same now in the past, the Catalans can concentrate on gaining the three points required to give them the La Liga title, and the first of three potential trophies as they go for the treble.
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After losing the title at Camp Nou to the Rojiblancos last season, this game gives Luis Enrique's side the perfect chance for revenge, and a win here would allow the manager to rest his big stars in the final league game of the season.
Diego Simeone's team need the points themselves to ensure another third-place finish. If they lose this one, and results elsewhere go against them, Valencia will be just a point behind with one game remaining.
With so much at stake for both sides, we could be in for a classic...
Date: Sunday, May 17
Time: 6 p.m. BST/1 p.m. ET
Venue: Estadio Vicente Calderon, Madrid, Spain
TV Info: Sky Sports 5/beIN Sports 1 (USA only)
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK only)/beIN Sports Connect (USA only)
Form Lines
| Atletico Madrid | Barcelona |
| D 2-2 vs. Levante | L 2-3 vs. Bayern Munich |
| D 0-0 vs. Athletic Club | W 2-0 vs. Real Sociedad |
| W 1-0 vs. Villarreal | W 3-0 vs. Bayern Munich |
| W 3-0 vs. Elche | W 8-0 vs. Cordoba |
| L 0-1 vs. Real Madrid | W 6-0 vs. Getafe |
| W 2-1 vs. Deportivo La Coruna | W 2-0 vs. Espanyol |
Predicted Formations
One player doesn't make a team, but Diego Godin's presence was sorely missed during Atleti's last game.
It's true that Levante had set up ultra-defensively, but to scramble a 2-2 draw was probably well below the Rojiblancos' expectations, with respect.
The Uruguayan's return after suspension will shore up the back line against an expected onslaught from Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez. If Suarez hasn't recovered from a slight hamstring pull by kick-off, his place could go to either Pedro Rodriguez or Munir El-Haddadi.
After a season where they not only took the league title at Camp Nou but also managed to avoid being beaten by the Catalans, the reverse has happened this season.
Man for man, Atleti's players will not want to see the Blaugrana win the title in their own backyard.
Godin's defensive team-mates Joao Miranda, Guilherme Siqueira and Juanfran will need to be at their very best to stop this from happening, however. Jan Oblak keeps his place after a string of top-class performances.
Ivan Rakitic can mix it when he needs to, but he'll have a battle on his hands with Tiago and Koke looking to disrupt the flow of his game, something that has gone a little under the radar in some games this season.
Rakitic's value to this side can be clearly seen when he's not there. Old twinkle toes Andres Iniesta will be looking to unsettle Arda Turan and Gabi should they double up, and if needless and cheap fouls are given away, Barca could profit handsomely.
"Barcelona can win the title next week away to Atletico Madrid, the same fixture (roles reversed) that decided the title last year.
— Stephen Doyne (@steodoyne) May 9, 2015"
Sergio Busquets will help his back four to contain the twin threat of Mario Mandzukic and Antoine Griezmann.
This unorthodox double act has been at the heart of everything good that Simeone's side have achieved this season, and there is no reason why they can't come up trumps against a defence that doesn't always have the solutions to the big-man, little-man combination.
Claudio Bravo will marshal Gerard Pique, Javier Mascherano, Dani Alves and Jordi Alba as they seek to keep another clean sheet on their way to a title-winning victory.
Player to Watch
Mario Mandzukic is a proper old-school centre-forward. He's the type of player who loves getting under the skin of the opposition and never giving defenders a moment's peace.
The Croatian might still feel he has a point to prove to Diego Simeone after being dropped earlier in the season, but there is little doubt that the main goal threat will come from the bruising front man.
Griezmann will continue to play an expert supporting role, Mandzukic adept at the knock down or hold-up play as required.
Pique will no doubt be tasked with marking this handful of a player, and he won't get many harder tests than the one provided by Mandzukic.
Given time and space on the floor, or allowed to dominate aerially, Mandzukic could be the match-winner who puts the champagne on ice in Catalonia for another week.
Key Battle
Antoine Griezmann arrived in Madrid with a burgeoning reputation, but it took the young Frenchman a while to get going in the Spanish capital.
However, once the goals started to flow and the confidence returned, he looked every inch the €30 million signing.
Twenty-two goals in La Liga and 25 overall, per WhoScored, is a fine return and one of the reasons that Atleti, despite a few surprise results including last time out at Levante, find themselves almost certain of a third-placed finish.
Dani Alves has found his best form again in the latter stages of this campaign. So much so that it now appears more likely, according to president Josep Maria Bartomeu via BBC Sport, that he will stay at the club rather than transfer elsewhere.
Quite whether he will be able to enjoy as much freedom down the right flank in this game is debatable.
With Griezmann on the prowl in that area of the pitch, Alves has to curtail his effervescence or risk being caught out via Atleti's more direct attacking style.
Odds
The following pre-match odds are available, per Odds Shark:
Home Win: +313
Away Win: -120
Draw: +267
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