Gabi, Tiago Mendes Could Give Atletico Madrid Edge in Upcoming Barcelona Clash

With international week comes a brief break in play for teams across Europe, including Atletico Madrid. Diego Simeone's side can hardly rest, however, with a crucial match against champions Barcelona upcoming on Sept. 12.

While both squads are full of international-caliber players, Atletico might have a slight advantage heading into the game for the simple reason that midfielders Gabi and Tiago Mendes are not on international duty.

This is nothing unexpected, of course. Gabi, 32, represented Spain at various youth levels but is not part of the senior national team setup. While the Atletico captain would certainly deserve a call-up, his personal loss is his club's gain. For footballers over the age of 30, recovery time is perhaps even more important than it is for younger players, and Gabi should certainly be well-rested ahead of the Barcelona game.

The same should be true for Tiago. The 34-year-old has played for Portugal as recently as June but was not part of coach Fernando Santos' squad for upcoming games against France and Albania. As B/R's Karl Matchett previously noted, his omission is part of a "changing of the guard" on the part of Santos.

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Again, though, this is only good news for Atletico, who should expect to have Tiago at his freshest for Barcelona's visit to the Estadio Vicente Calderon.

Barcelona, meanwhile, could feature a midfield full of weary globetrotters. 

Ivan Rakitic traveled with Croatia to far-flung Azerbaijan for Thursday's scoreless draw in Euro 2016 qualification matchup. Up next, the Vatreni will trek all the way back across Europe to play at Norway on Sunday. He'll have almost a week to recover from all the mileage, but such a journey would take a toll on anyone.

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Barca's two other primary midfielders, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta, will have a much more forgiving itinerary with Spain, who host Slovakia before playing at Macedonia. That's not quite as demanding a trip, but it's also not the same as staying with your club during international week.

Therefore, will Atletico really have an advantage? Barcelona's players will have some time to recover, but it can't hurt Atletico that two key midfielders, Gabi and Tiago, will be able to stay home. Barca's main midfielders, meanwhile, will travel to various locations around Europe, potentially leaving the squad stretched through fatigue and a lack of further options. 

While this doesn't cover the whole squad, Atletico could benefit from a fresher contingent in the heart of the pitch. That might not represent a huge advantage, but any edge against the treble winners will be welcome.