The serene and picturesque settings girdling the ravishing Aristides Maillol street in Barcelona will be inundated by the shrieks and shouts emerging from the esteemed Camp Nou stadium as Barcelona take on Atletico Madrid in a tantalizing Champions League quarter-final clash tonight.
Both sides endured contrasting fates in their La Liga games last weekend. Atletico Madrid completely outclassed Real Betis to secure a comfortable 5-1 victory while Barcelona had to suffer a rude reality check after a 2-1 loss to their great rivals Real Madrid in the Clasico.
Last time the two sides met in La Liga, it was an intense encounter but goals from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez settled the contest with Barcelona securing a 2-1 victory over the Rojiblancos. Atletico Madrid had taken the lead through Koke but red cards to Filipe Luis and Diego Godin made their life difficult.
Barcelona will be wary of their opponents as the last time these two sides met in the Champions League quarter-finals, Atletico Madrid secured a 2-1 victory on aggregate.
Kickoff and Live Telecast
Date and Time: 5th April, 2016 – 12:15 AM (IST)
Channel Info: Ten Action (now known as Ten 2), Ten 1 HD
Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona
Team News
Hosts Barcelona will be missing a couple of their defenders after it was announced by the Catalan club that Aleix Vidal had suffered a muscle injury during training. Vidal joins the injured Jeremy Mathieu, who recently underwent surgery for his knee, as well as Adriano Correia and Sandro Ramirez.
Atletico Madrid received a huge boost when their key player Diego Godin was declared fit to play in tonight’s big Champions League clash. Stefan Savic also makes a return from injury though it seems unlikely that he will take the place of Jose Gimenez in the centre of the Rojiblancos defence. Simeone, in fact, has taken a full squad of 24 players to the Camp Nou.
After Fernando Torres scored in the previous La Liga match against Real Betis, Simeone hinted that he might start the veteran Spanish striker against Barcelona.
Probable line-ups
Barcelona (4-3-3): Ter Stegen; Alves, Mascherano, Pique, Alba; Iniesta, Rakitic, Busquets; Messi, Neymar, Suarez.
Atletico Madrid (4-4-2): Oblak; Juanfran, Gimenez, Godin, Felipe Luis; Saul, Gabi, Tiago, Koke; Griezmann, Torres.
Key battles
Antoine Griezmann vs Gerard Pique
Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann will be leading the line for the visitors and arguably, will be also carrying the single biggest threat. The Frenchman has been a vital addition to the side since joining from Real Sociedad in the summer of 2014 and goals have kept coming at an exponential rate.
The 24-year old takes the game to the teams and has a knack of slaloming past his markers with relative ease. His creative influence is also worth noting and he is the one Barcelona should be most wary of.
His opposite number Gerard Pique, though, isn’t half shabby either. The Spaniard has been a key figure in the Barca defense and will be vital in thwarting the French juggernaut. Pique will have to be at his very best to keep the talented Frenchman in check.
Luis Suarez vs Diego Godin
At the other end of the field, Luis Suarez will be posing a monumental threat to the visitors, for the maverick Uruguayan has been in red hot form this season. With 44 goals in 46 appearances to his name, Suarez has been in stunning form for Barcelona and he will be keen to grab a goal or two tonight.
Trying to stop him in his tracks will be international team-mate Diego Godin, the Atletico skipper who has been the fulcrum of the team under manager Diego Simeone. The Uruguay international has been pivotal to the side’s amazing defensive record.
His bulwark like presence brings a sense of resilience to the backline. Arguably the best centre-back of the season against the best striker of the season, its an unstoppable force colliding with an immovable object.
A duel worth keeping an eye on.
Prediction
Barcelona suffered a slip in their superb form against Real Madrid while Atletico were at their best against Real Betis. With key players like Godin returning, Barcelona will find it tough to score a lot of goals tonight. However, they possess undoubted talent and ability to break down any defence.
We predict a tight game all around with Barcelona emerging as the narrow winners.
Predicted score: Barcelona 2-1 Atletico Madrid
Betting Odds (bet365)
Barcelona – 8/15
Draw – 10/3
Atletico Madrid – 6/1
X-Factor: Fernando Torres always seems to score against Barcelona and the Catalan giants will be wary of the threat posed by the Spanish forward.
