La Liga 2018/2019 - 4 reasons why Barcelona should be wary of Atletico MadridÂ
Barcelona host Atletico Madrid in what is undoubtedly the marquee fixture of this weekend in La Liga and one of the biggest in all of Europe.
It is a clash between first and second, with bragging rights as well as the potential to be crowned league champions on the line.
The Blaugrana hold an eight-point lead atop the league standings, but the Colchoneros would be desperate to reduce that deficit to five by posting a rare victory at the Camp Nou.
Barcelona enter the fixture as very much the form team of the two and this coupled with the caliber of players on display within the Barca ranks means the defending La Liga champions are the favorites in the tie.
However, it is pertinent to note that Atletico Madrid are no pushovers themselves and are more than capable of upsetting Barcelona on their home ground and as such, the Catalans would do well to keep their visitors at bay. In this piece, we shall be taking a look at four reasons why Barcelona should be wary of Atletico Madrid.
#4 Atletico Madrid have nothing else to play for
Atletico have been one of the most consistent clubs in Europe over the last few years, regularly making it to the latter stages of the Champions League and pushing the big two in La Liga all the way for the title. For this, Diego Simeone deserves immense praise for his transformation of the club from a mid-table side into one of Europe's genuine heavyweights.
Their newfound status as one of the continent's bigger sides means they genuinely expect to win some trophies each season, but this term has proved to be far from ideal.
Simeone's men got knocked out surprisingly early from the Copa del Rey by Girona, while they also threw away a two-goal advantage in the Champions League to be eliminated by a Ronaldo-inspired Juventus to ensure there would be no dream UCL final on their home stadium.
In essence, their only hope of a trophy this season lies in La Liga and as such, they would be fighting tooth and nail for as long as they still have a chance of lifting the title. Hence, Barcelona would do well to keep them at bay.