Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona: Three Key Battles Ahead Of La Liga Clash
Atlético Madrid vs Barcelona is set to be one of the biggest La Liga matches of the season before next week's international break. The match will be played at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium on Sunday, November 8, as Barcelona looks to extend its La Liga lead and secure a signature win after losing El Clásico two weeks ago, while Atletico Madrid looks to extend its seven-match winning streak in La Liga.
Heading into this match, Atletico sit second in the La Liga table with 28 points from 11 matches, while the Catalans lead with 30 points. The Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona match should be an entertaining and physical affair, as Atletico eliminated Barcelona last season in both the Copa Del Rey and the Champions League.
The outcome will have major implications for the title race, with Real Madrid lurking. Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona: Three Key Battles 1.
Julian Alvarez vs Pau Cubarsi After a summer oftransfer-window dramaregarding a potential move from Atletico Madrid to Barcelona, Julian Alvarez has struggled to find his footing this season, scoring only two and providing two assists in 11 appearances across all competitions. Despite the slow start, the Argentine is finding his form, having scored two goals in his last four games.
Now, he will face Barcelona centre-back Pau Cubarsi for the first time since the duo met in the World Cup final. Alvarez is Atletico's best attacker, and the Argentine scored 18 goals last season, including two goals and one assist in six games against the Catalans.
His speed and experience will be critical in the Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona match, as Atletico will look to break Barcelona's high line, as they did last season. Atletico scored 10 goals in six matches against Barcelona last season, and most of them came on counterattacks.
His partnership with Alexander Sorloth will be crucial in executing this tactic against Barcelona's defence, as they will need to time their runs perfectly to avoid being offside. Pau Cubarsi has been Barcelona's best defender this season and was one of Spain's best players in the World Cup, winning the tournament's Best Young Player award.
He will be tasked with shutting down Alvarez in the Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona match with a short-handed defence. As always, Cubarsi will be the key anchor in executing the Catalans' high-line tactic in Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona, as the defence looks to limit Atletico's chances in attack and avoid being vulnerable to counterattacks.
He will have to replicate his World Cup Final performance against Alvarez if the Catalans want to win.