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A Tough Showdown for La Liga Top Spot Between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid

Barcelona looks to return to winning ways and claim the outright top spot in La Liga when they host second-placed Atlético Madrid on Saturday in Round 18.

Both teams are tied on 38 points, but Barça holds the edge due to a superior goal difference, while Atlético has a game in hand.

The two clubs have faced off 174 times in La Liga, with Barcelona leading with 80 wins compared to Atlético’s 52, alongside 42 draws.

In all competitions, they’ve clashed 242 times, with Barça winning 110 matches, Atlético winning 76, and 56 ending in draws.

Barcelona aims to build on their recent dominance over Atlético, having won their last five league encounters. However, the Catalans’ current form is less than ideal. After a strong start that saw them leading the table by as many as seven points, they’ve managed only one victory in their last six league matches, suffering three defeats in the process.

To make matters worse, Barcelona will be without one of their key attacking weapons, Lamine Yamal, who is sidelined for four weeks due to an ankle injury sustained in their 1-0 loss to Leganés last Sunday. Additionally, German coach Hansi Flick will once again miss the game as he serves a suspension following his dismissal two games ago.

Atlético, on the other hand, enters the match seeking revenge, with their last victory over Barcelona dating back to October 2, 2021, when they secured a 2-0 win.

Argentine manager Diego Simeone hopes to capitalize on his team’s high spirit and confidence, as Atlético has bounced back from a slow start to the season to rack up 11 consecutive wins across all competitions, including six straight victories in La Liga.

Here are some key stats to help you predict the right outcome and win valuable prizes with betway:

● Atlético Madrid has failed to win in their last 18 away league matches against Barcelona (5 draws, 13 losses), their second-worst winless run against any opponent in La Liga history, following a 20-game streak—also against Barcelona—between 1945 and 1963 (5 draws, 15 losses).

● Barça hasn’t conceded a goal in their last four La Liga matches against Atlético Madrid, marking their best clean-sheet streak against the capital club in league history.

● Barcelona has not lost their final La Liga match of the year in 16 seasons (13 wins, 3 draws) since their 1-0 home defeat to Real Madrid on December 23, 2007. Conversely, Atlético Madrid has never drawn their year-end league match under Simeone (12 matches: 10 wins, 2 losses).

● Only Robert Lewandowski (27 goals) has scored more La Liga goals than Alexander Sørloth (24) in 2024.

● Antoine Griezmann has scored against 29 of the 30 teams he’s faced as an Atlético Madrid player in La Liga, with Barcelona being the only exception—he has failed to score in 15 matches against them.

● Diego Simeone has never won an away league game against Barcelona as Atlético’s manager (4 draws, 8 losses).

Saturday’s clash between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid is shaping up to be a thriller, with both teams tied on points and everything to play for in La Liga. Whether you’re backing Barça to bounce back or Atlético to continue their winning streak, Betway is your go-to betting site in Qatar for top odds and live action.

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