There is no doubt, at all, what the biggest game in Spain will be this weekend, as fourth place FC Barcelona hosts third place Atletico Madrid. This headliner clash will be missing a few marquee players however, starting with Barcelona’s No. 1 Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. He is a strong doubt here as he’s missed both of Barca’s matches since the last international break.
And that was an international period that saw the goalie withdraw from German National Team duty due to a back injury.
FC Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid FYIs
Kickoff: Sun. Dec. 3, 20:00 CET, Olympic Stadium, Barcelona, Spain
Preview Material for Both Clubs: Team News Starting XI Predictions
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
La Liga Standing, Form: Atletico Madrid 3rd, 31 pts, WWLWW FC Barcelona 4th, 31 pts, DWWLW
Google Result Probability: Atletico Madrid 26% Draw 26% FC Barcelona 48%
Team News for Both Sides
It’s very hard to say for sure, but we’re guessing that Xavi will have/elect to go with Inaki Pena in between the sticks again here. As for Atletico, there is noting new to report on the fitness front, as they are a relatively healthy side. The notable exceptions are of course Thomas Lemar (Achilles tendon) and Vitolo (knee problem) who remain out as long-term injury absentees.
Barca is trying to retain their La Liga title while Atleti are attempting to usurp them, so this is going to be a massive match, for the cause of trying to move up the table.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.