The heavyweight clash of the Champions League quarter-finals and an all-Spanish encounter that should be one to savour.
The mighty Barcelona host Atletico Madrid at the Nou Camp on Tuesday night for the first leg of the last eight tie and it sees the current La Liga leaders take on their nearest pursuers in the top flight.
Atletico are just six points adrift of the defending Spanish and European champions and were aided in their bid for domestic silverware by their upcoming opponent’s surprise defeat to Real Madrid on Saturday in El Clasico.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s late winner brought an end of Barcelona’s record 39-match unbeaten run in all competitions but focus for all this week is on Champions League matters and predictably it is the Catalans that are favoured to defend their crown by the bookmakers.
No side has lifted the famous trophy in consecutive seasons since the remodelling of the competition but with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar forming the most potent attacking trio perhaps we’ve ever seen, Barca couldn’t be better equipped to become history makers once more.
This pair last met in January when the Argentine and Uruguayan struck before half time on home soil, Koke had opened the scoring for visiting Atletico, and that was Barcelona’s fifth consecutive win by a single goal in this fixture.
In fact, Barca’s 3-1 victory last January was the only time in the past 13 matches between the two rivals that more than one goal had separated the sides at full time and Atletico are very rarely overrun by anyone.
Visiting manager Diego Simeone can also point to a particularly impressive record away from home and it is just five defeats in 38 matches outside the Vicente Calderon, all by the narrowest margin.
There is no denying Barcelona are very worthy favourites for the tie, and the match, but I’ll be surprised if this is anything but a close encounter between two sets of players that know each other extremely well and Atletico warmed up for the mammoth task ahead with a 5-1 thumping of Real Betis last time out.
They are perhaps the side best equipped of all those remaining in the competition to deal with the host’s attacking prowess and I want to be with them on the handicaps.
2pts Back Atletico Madrid (+1 Asian Handicap, vs. Barcelona) @ 22/23 (Bet Victor)
