Barcelona – Atletico Madrid: a La Liga flavour in the Champions League 
Wednesday night, the old Camp Nou is set to rock for a Champions League quarter-final first leg with a heavy Spanish edge. Barcelona host Atletico Madrid in a tactical scrap that’s got all the signs of a proper classic. For Barca, it’s about proving they really are the continent’s top dogs right now. Atletico, meanwhile, are hunting the shock of the round on their rival’s patch.
Barcelona, a steamroller 
Confidence is sky-high in Barcelona. The Catalans have just handed Atletico Madrid a tidy beating in the league at the weekend, tightening their grip at the top. The dark old days, when Barca left supporters miserable in Europe, are long gone. Right now, this Barcelona side is a frightening machine, built to bang in goals with outrageous swagger.
Just look at what happened to Newcastle recently, completely torn apart by Barcelona’s flying wingers. Hansi Flick’s men will want Atletico pinned back from the first whistle and the game smothered before the visitors can get any ideas. On paper, Barca are the clear favourites over this two-legged tie.
Atletico Madrid are putting everything into Europe 
Atletico are coming into this on the back of three straight defeats in all competitions. They’re still sitting comfortably near the top of La Liga and miles away from any real trouble, so Diego Simeone’s men have now thrown everything at this competition.
Historically, Atletico have often caused Barcelona serious problems in the Champions League. Against Barca’s attacking fury, they’ll have to dig in, take the hits and defend like their lives depend on it. The plan is simple enough: soak up the pressure, survive the waves, then try to nick it with one killer counter.
Expected line-ups
Barcelona : J Garcia ; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martin, Cancelo ; E Garcia, Pedri ; Yamal, Fermin, Rashford ; Lewandowski
Atletico Madrid : Oblak ; Llorente, Le Normand, Hancko, Ruggeri ; Koke, Baena ; Simeone, Griezmann, Lookman ; Alvarez
Football prediction Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid
Barcelona to win
Atletico have the tactical nastiness and the experience to spring a surprise, but Barcelona are flying right now and they’re frightening everybody in Europe.
This Barca side is humming, and the attacking firepower looks almost impossible to shut down over 90 minutes. Atletico could be in for a long night in midfield in the heat of the Camp Nou. The expectation is simple: Barcelona should find a way through and take a serious step towards qualification before the return leg against Atletico Madrid.
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