FC Barcelona take a narrow advantage to the Vicente Calderon but they will have to fight tooth and nail to get past Atletico Madrid and progress to another Champions League semi-final. Join The Roar for live scores from 4:30am (AEST).
Despite their 2-1 win against Atletico last week, fatigue is setting in at Barcelona, with stars Lionel Messi and Neymar feeling the strain from an intense period of football.
Messi, in particular, has struggled to find his best form since returning from the international break. High-pressure matches against Real and Atletico Madrid in the space of a few days have obviously taken their toil on a player who remains such a vital element to Barcelona’s success.
A 1-nil defeat to Real Sociedad in La Liga last week saw Messi produce another disappointing display during a time when Barcelona needed their star to fire.
After such a successful period under Luis Enrique, Barcelona’s season is on the brink of collapse. A ten-point lead in La Liga has been whittled down to just three points with four games remaining.
A defeat to Atletico tonight would see their season transform into a failure, given the importance of Champions League success to Barcelona’s club credentials.
Despite their recent struggles, Barcelona at least take an advantage back to the Vicente Calderon. This means Atletico have to come out of their defensive shell at some stage in a bid to score the goal needed to heap pressure on Barcelona.
With this in mind, Barcelona can afford to play on the counter tonight, given that any draw will be enough to secure progression.
Atletico’s attacking stocks have also taken a hit, due to Fernando Torres’ suspension. He was dangerous on the pitch last week, and his attacking instincts will be missed.
With attacking stars such as Antoine Griezmann and Angel Correa in the side however, Diego Simeone still has enough class in his ranks to ask questions of a Barcelona defence that will be nervous as they look to cling onto a small lead.
With the situation as tight as it is, whichever team scores first tonight will likely advance to the semis. If Atletico get to 1-nil up they will shut up shop, and even a team like Barcelona will struggle to break through without committing enormous risks when in possession.
If Barcelona score first however, the tie is practically done given Atletico will have to push forward, which leaves plenty of opportunities for Messi and company to wreak havoc on the break.
Prediction
Given Atletico do have to score to make a game of this, the tie is poised in Barcelona’s favour.
Barcelona and Atletico to draw 1-1
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