Barcelona host Atletico Madrid in the derby of the Matchday on Saturday evening at Camp Nou. The hosts are eight points clear at the top of the standings and a win here would proclaim them new La Liga champions for the 2018/19 season with just eight games left to play.Getting one will, however, demand Barca’s top performance as Atletico Madrid were in good touch lately. The visitors head into this on the back of two straight clean sheet wins against Deportivo Alaves (0-4) and Girona (2-0).
Blaugrana won three and drew three of last six encounters with the Mattressers.As many as four of last seven H2H ties ended with a 1-1 scoreline.
The result ended Barca’s six-game winning run in Spain’s top flight but has still left them with a healthy advantage entering what is a very important fixture at home to Atletico on Saturday night.It is a huge period of the season for the Catalan giants considering that they will host Atletico before visiting Manchester United next Wednesday for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. Valverde’s side will then head to Huesca before hosting United on April 16 for the second leg of their last-eight tie.
The Champions League is the competition that Barca really want to win this season, though, and Liverpool might well be waiting in the semi-finals if they manage to find their way past Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.It goes without saying that Barca’s squad is packed full of talent, but they would not be in such a strong position this season without Messi. The 31-year-old scored his 42nd goal of the campaign against Villarreal on Wednesday night and his form in recent months has been absolutely staggering.