Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid prediction, odds, betting tips and best bets for La Liga match
Two desperate teams in the La Liga title race meet in Catalonia as third-place Atletico Madrid travel to fourth-place Barcelona on Sunday.
With Real Madrid and Girona level on points at the top of the Spanish top flight standings, these two sides both sit four points adrift and cannot afford to fall further behind in the hunt for the league crown.
While Barcelona had for some time struggled to deal with Atleti, failing to win on five separate occasions between 2020 and 2021, they have rebounded to win two straight league meetings by a 1-0 score and will hope a third successive victory will boost them back onto the heels of the leaders.
The three points are of enormous importance in this match, and both sides will be looking to snatch the maximum return in a fixture where the margins will be extremely thin.
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Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid match facts
- Date: Sunday, December 3, 2023
- Kickoff Time: 9 p.m. local (3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT)
- Location: Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys (Barcelona, Spain)
- Official: Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez
- Last meeting: Barcelona 1-0 Atletico Madrid (Apr. 23, 2023 | La Liga)
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Draw (+260)
- Score prediction: Barcelona 1-1 Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid are largely at full strength, while Barcelona have a number of injury issues to contend with. Gavi's long-term injury suffered on international duty is a devastating blow to the midfield, while Joao Cancelo and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen are both doubts for the match — word seems to be that Cancelo is likely to play, while Ter Stegen is not.
Both teams have proven somewhat flawed this season across all competitions, and it's understandable to think that Atletico Madrid can take advantage of Barcelona's weaknesses in a matchup where both sides will hope to snatch three points. There's value on the draw or even an Atleti result.
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid: best bet
- Pick: Under 2.5 goals
- Odds: +100 (DraftKings)
While these two teams are not quite the defensive powerhouses they have been in recent memory, there's reason to believe they will play to a cagey affair this time around.
Historically, these two clubs have cancelled each other out on the field over the years. Dating back to their pair of Champions League meetings in 2016, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have played under the 2.5 goal total in 13 of 19 games across all competitions, including five of the last six.
Additionally, these two clubs sport the two most stout defensive units in La Liga based on expected goals. Expect them to play to a stalemate for much of this game.
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid prop bet
- Pick: Half with most goals — 1H
- Odds: +185 (DraftKings)
While these two teams both play lockdown defense after halftime, there's some vulnerabilities before the break that could be exploited here, especially for the hosts.
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid sport the two best defensive units in La Liga after halftime by expected goals, conceding just 11 second half goals combined on 10.37 xGA. Atleti have the league's best first-half defense as well, but Barca have conceded nine first-half goals on 9.93 xGA.
Offensively the sides each have an increased output after halftime, but that's an expected variance in this sport, and they both still boast the second-best and third-best attacking records in the league respectively.
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid live stream, TV channel
- TV channel (Spanish): ESPN Deportes
- Streaming (English): ESPN+
- Streaming (Spanish):Fubo, WatchESPN, ESPN+
La Liga television rights in the United States are owned exclusively by ESPN, who broadcasts all matches in English and Spanish on its premium streaming platform ESPN+ for those with a subscription.
