Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona: Can the Hosts Maintain Their Unbeaten Start to the Season?

Atletico Madrid striker Luis Suarez will be unable to face former club Barcelona on Saturday after testing positive for Covid-19.

The Uruguayan striker’s absence will leave Atletico a little light in attack, as Diego Costa has been out for a month with an injury.

Joao Felix banged in two goals to lead Atletico to a 4-0 victory over Cadiz before the international break, and he could lead the line. Angel Correa, Marco Llorente and Thomas Lemar can all support him in attack, so Diego Simeone’s side will still be dangerous in this game.

A Strong Start

Atletico are the only unbeaten team in La Liga so far this season. They have five wins and two draws from seven games.

That leaves them third in the table, but they have two games in hand on the teams above them – Real Sociedad and Villarreal.

Simeone’s men are already a point clear of champions Real Madrid, with a game in hand, and six points ahead of Ronald Koeman’s struggling Barcelona side.

Atletico have scored 17 and conceded just twice so far, so they will be surging with confidence as they prepare for this clash.

A Power Shift?

Barcelona have only picked up three wins from seven games this season, and their chances of reclaiming the title are looking increasingly slim.

They moved on veterans like Suarez and Ivan Rakitic in the summer, and did not replace them. The likes of Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Gerard Pique look past their best, and Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho have not justified their extravagant transfer fees.

The bright shining light was teenage superstar Ansu Fati, but he is now out with a long-term injury. Captain Lionel Messi remains thoroughly disgruntled and continues to angle for a move to Man City, leaving Barca in crisis.

Atletico have not beaten Barcelona in the league for more than a decade, but they won a fiery Super Cup clash between the two sides in January, and they may sense that this is their time to shine.

Tip: Atletico Madrid draw no bet

Stake: One unit