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Atléti were narrowly beaten by arch-rivals Real Madrid just ahead of the international break, but won four consecutive LaLiga fixtures prior to their 3-2 defeat at the Bernabéu.
Although Diego Simeone’s men are now effectively out of the title, they still have a chance of clinching both domestic and continental silverware this term.
Los Rojiblancos overcame struggling Tottenham Hotspur to set up a Champions League quarter-final meeting with Saturday’s opponents, the second leg of which comes just before the Copa del Ray showdown against Real Sociedad.
By the time the outcomes of those aforementioned matches are determined, Atlético Madrid and Barcelona will have faced each other on five occasions in a busy nine-week period.
Barça are the only side in the Spanish top-flight to boast a superior home record than Atléti, who have already amassed 40 points at the Metropolitano this season.
The Blaugrana have only been beaten twice in Catalonia all season, a 2-1 reverse against Paris Saint-Germain at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys and February’s away loss to neighbours Girona. They haven’t experienced a league defeat since that humbling at the Estadi Montilivi, leaving them four points clear at the summit of the table.
UK viewers can access this keenly anticipated contest on the Disney+ platform, provided they pay a monthly subscription fee.
Atlético Madrid v Barcelona – Key information
Date: Saturday, 4th April
Kick-off time: 20:00 (BST)
Venue: Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid
Referee: TBC
VAR: TBC
TV Channels/Live stream: Disney+
Odds: Atlético Madrid: 21/10, Draw: 5/2, Barcelona: 5/4
Odds provided by bet365
Atlético Madrid team news
Diego Simeone is without the services of several first-team stars, but has enough quality in depth to provide cover.
Having just recovered from a torn hamstring, Pablo Barrios was dealt another injury blow during a recent training session. The talented youngster is now out with a thigh complaint, but should return within the next fortnight. Johnny Cardoso also has a thigh issue, which he picked up during the USA’s 5-2 defeat to Belgium over the weekend. However, the American misses out through suspension anyway – alongside fellow midfielder Marcos Llorente – after both players received their fifth yellow cards of the campaign during the Madrid derby.
Alexander Sørloth also sustained an injury while on international duty, with the Norwegian requiring stitches following a nasty head collision. A muscle strain keeps influential goalkeeper Jan Oblak out of action, leaving Argentinian understudy Juan Musso to continue deputising between the sticks.
Spanish Under-21 international Rodrigo Mendoza is sidelined with an ankle sprain, while versatile defender Marc Pubill misses out due to a rib issue. Ilias Kostis ruptured his ACL last October, rendering him unavailable for the rest of the season.
Atlético Madrid predicted line-up v Barcelona (4-4-2)
Coach: Diego Simeone
Juan Musso (GK); Nahuel Molina, Robin Le Normand, Dávid Hancko, Matteo Ruggeri; Giuliano Simeone, Koke, Álex Baena, Ademola Lookman; Antoine Griezmann, Julián Alvarez
Barcelona team news
Although he has fewer injury concerns than his managerial counterpart, Hansi Flick is still missing a handful of key players.
Raphinha has become another casualty of this season’s busy international schedule, after developing a hamstring complaint during the opening 45 minutes of Brazil’s friendly contest with France in Boston. The 29-year-old attacker is set to miss all three of the upcoming encounters against Atlético Madrid, but should be back for the run-in.
With his contract situation still unresolved and more than a few months remaining of his rehabilitation from an anterior cruciate ligament tear, Andreas Christensen may have played his final game for the club. Dutch maestro Frenkie de Jong hasn’t featured since netting the Catalans’ second goal in February’s 3-0 win over Levante, while Gavi is slowly being reintegrated into the first-team fold following a second lengthy absence in the space of three years.
Full-back duo Alejandro Balde and Jules Koundé both suffered hamstring injuries during Barcelona’s most recent rendezvous with Atléti, but are in contention to play some sort of role on Saturday.
Barcelona predicted line-up v Atlético Madrid (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Hansi Flick
Joan García (GK); Ronald Araújo, Pau Cubarsí, Gerard Martín, João Cancelo; Marc Casadó, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Fermín López, Raphinha; Robert Lewandowski
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
Ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, Disney+ brokered a lucrative broadcasting contract with La Liga. Under the terms of their three-year agreement, the streaming giant is able to provide exclusive live coverage of the division’s Saturday night fixture each week.
With an 8pm kick-off scheduled at the Metropolitano, this means that Atlético Madrid vs. Barcelona – arguably the marquee clash of this weekend’s Spanish top-flight action – will be screened on the Disney+ platform.
It’s worth noting that a considerable quantity of Spanish top-flight matches are available to watch on Premier Sports, while Amazon Prime customers can also tune into this action upon purchasing a bolt-on LaLiga TV subscription.
Head-to-Head record
Barça recovered from an early setback to beat Atlético Madrid in this season’s first meeting between the pair, as goals from Raphinha, Dani Olmo, and Ferran Torres ensured the hosts secured a 3-1 win after falling behind to Álex Baena’s nineteenth-minute opener.
Thanks to September’s 5-2 demolition of their local adversaries at the Metropolitano, Los Colchoneros have an opportunity to record home league victories over Real Madrid and Barcelona in the same season for just the second time in 45 years.
The Catalans have emerged triumphant in each of their last three visits to the Metropolitano on LaLiga duty, but were humiliated in February’s one-sided Copa del Rey first leg. That was the first time Barça had lost by a four-goal margin in an away fixture against Atléti since 1989, when the hosts triumphed 4-0 at the Estadio Vicente Calderón.
Atlético Madrid v Barcelona – Match Result odds
Atlético Madrid: 21/10 (bet365)
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change. All odds provided by bet365.