5 factors that will decide the Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid encounter

It is one of the classic La Liga encounters. Barcelona v Atletico Madrid. The Blaugrana v the Rojiblancos. Catalonia v Madrid.In many respects, this fixture has taken on more significance than El Clasico in recent times. Atleti won their first league title in 18 years at Camp Nou in 2014, Barca repaid the favour at the Vicente Calderon a year later.Now we come to a league game of the utmost importance. A win for the hosts and they go three clear with a game in hand. Were Barca to win that then a six point lead at this stage, whilst not insurmountable, will be very difficult to bridge.Let’s take a look at five factors that will decide this encounter

#1 Fortress Camp Nou

The Camp Nou crowd will act as the 12^th man for the Blaugrana

Let’s be honest, there aren’t too many teams that go to Camp Nou believing that they’ll come away with the three points. Visitors are often beaten before a ball is kicked, such is the record that many opposition teams have at the Blaugrana cathedral of football.

Strangely enough, Atletico Madrid also fall into that bracket. Despite their best efforts, they have one of the worst records of any visiting team and haven’t actually won a game at Camp Nou for 10 years. Given the nature of Atleti’s all-action physical game, and the players that have recently passed through – Falcao, Costa, Torres, Aguero, Forlan et al – it seems barely possible that the mattress makers have been unable to register a single victory in all of that time.

The weight of history evidently falls very heavily on their shoulders but history is there to be rewritten and Diego Simeone will at the very least ensure his charges will be ultra competitive in this one.

#2 Godin v Suarez

The two Uruguayans will be highly instrumental for their respective teams

What a battle we have in prospect between the two Uruguayans. In Diego Godin, Atletico have very possibly the best central defender in world football at the moment. A rock of a centre-back who will use every trick in the book to unhinge his opponent.

Luis Suarez is in spectacular form for the Catalans and friendship will go out of the window for 90 minutes. 29 goals in his last 29 games is the best return of any striker in the top five leagues at present, and with a full week’s rest because of his Copa Del Rey ban, El Pistolero will be champing at the bit to put one over on his countryman.

Barca have enough in attack to worry Atleti in all areas but how Suarez shapes up against Godin will author much of how the narrative to this match is written. Expect fireworks between the pair with no quarter asked or given by either player.

#3 Correa, Luis suspensions

Correa will be dearly missed by the Rojiblancos

When you play Barcelona, not only do you have to be at your absolute maximum and hope that the Blaugrana have an off day, but you need your best exponents playing. To that end, the loss of Angel Correa and Felipe Luis to suspension is going to hit Atleti hard.

Correa – “the new Aguero” – has been in reasonable form of late, and certainly a better front man than Jackson Martinez. The ex-Porto man has been woeful. One touch against Sevilla in his last match. One!

Yet Diego Simeone is all but forced to play him here because Fernando Torres is still injured. Felipe Luis has settled back into his old role with aplomb and would surely have made Lionel Messi’s tenure in the match more difficult that it will most likely now be.

Two players missing that will very definitely hand the impetus and advantage to the hosts. If Simeone and his staff can pull a rabbit out of the hat here, they deserve every plaudit that will come their way.

#4 Almost identical form

Neymar and Messi scored one goal apiece when Barcelona travelled to the Calderon

Something’s got to give. These two teams are so well matched that their form during this campaign is spectacularly similar. Since the last fixture between the sides back in September, Atleti has lost just twice in the league, a run which has seen them leapfrog their opponents until this past weekend.

Coincidentally, Barcelona have also lost just twice in La Liga and the synergy doesn’t end there. Five draws for the Blaugrana compare to six for Atleti. It simply couldn’t be closer and hints at the level at which these two teams operate on a weekly basis.

For those willing to doff their caps to Luis Enrique and the marvellous job that he is doing at Barcelona, spare a few moments to register some kudos for Diego Simeone. Keeping his team equal to what amounts to one of the best club footballing sides in history is arguably a better achievement.

#5 Not quite MSN, but close

Vietto and Griezmann can create problems for Barcelona

There isn’t any doubt that Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez are the best front three that Barcelona have ever had. Perhaps it’s the best strikeforce in the history of football, but that, of course, is up for debate.

So much focus and attention on Barca’s attacking trio neatly bypasses the fact that Atleti have some sterling strikers of their own. In Antoine Griezmann and Luciano Vietto, they’ve two of the finest young players in Europe and both have struck up a sensational partnership this term.

The Frenchman, in particular, has become the subject of interest from all of European football’s big clubs, such has been the standards of excellence that he has set during the campaign. Vietto isn't quite up to Griezmann’s level just yet in goalscoring terms, but his movement and interplay is nothing short of sensational.

Certainly Barca’s back line will need to be on their toes throughout the match to contain both players.