Atletico Madrid will be hosting Barcelona again. Both teams have already met three times this 2026 season, and after this La Liga clash, they will also face each other in the Champions League quarter-final first and second legs.
Softfootball believes Barcelona need to win this game, as victory will help secure their lead in La Liga this season. The match will be played at Atletico’s home ground, where they are known to always give teams a tough time.
This will be a difficult encounter, as the outcome could also affect their Champions League meetings. The truth is, Barcelona know how to beat Atletico Madrid. In the last 10 meetings, Barcelona have won 7 times, Atletico Madrid have won 2 times, including the 4–0 victory in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg, and both teams have drawn once.
On the other hand, Barcelona are unbeaten in their last 8 games, with 7 wins and 1 draw. However, Raphinha is out due to injury, and Marcus Rashford is also reported to have some fitness issues, although he is expected to return soon.
Players like Ademola Lookman, Julian Alvarez, and others will be available for this clash. However, Softfootball believes that even if Atletico Madrid win this La Liga game, it may not make much difference in the title race, as their focus is likely to be on the Champions League.
They may prefer to field their strongest squad in the Champions League rather than this La Liga encounter. However, based on current form and past results, Barcelona still have a strong chance of defeating Atletico Madrid in any of these matches.
