Following Barcelona's home defeat to Real Madrid two weeks ago, Atlético Madrid have the opportunity to leapfrog both of Spain's giants and climb to the top of La Liga, should they secure victory over the Catalan side.

The two sides will face off against each other on Sunday, November 8th at 20:00 GMT (21:00 CET), with the match being played at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, the stadium that will also host this season’s UEFA Champions League final.

Ahead of the match, press conferences involving both managers have highlighted the contrasting approaches and challenges both clubs are expecting, with Atlético manager Diego Simeone acknowledging the difficulty of containing Barcelona's attacking threat, elaborating to say that the current league leaders are "possibly the best", insisting that the Madrid-based side must "suffer for a large part of the game."

That being said, it is Flick’s side that may have a dilemma on the other side of the pitch, with Eric García potentially stepping into the starting lineup and Andreas Christensen also available.

Recent Encounters

The two sides have had an even record in terms of recent encounters, but despite Barcelona winning the last outing between the two sides, which came in the Champions League, it was Atlético that had the last laugh, going through to the semi-finals of the competition, winning the tie 3-2 on aggregate.

This matched the encounter in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey earlier last season, as despite winning 3-0 in the second leg, Simeone’s side were able to advance to the final, with the 4-0 win at home proving to be just enough in the end against the Catalan side.

Atlético vs Barcelona is always a match with much drama, and this was the case in this league fixture last season.

Despite a very open start to the match, it was Simeone’s side who took the lead just moments after Barcelona looked to have gone in front themselves, with Giuliano Simeone finding the back of the net with an effort just inside the box.

Though this lead wouldn’t last long, with Marcus Rashford equalising just three minutes later, with both sides going into the break level.

Late drama in the half would continue into the second, where, after coming back from being level, Robert Lewandowski would come off the bench to score the winner in the 87th minute.

Should Barcelona match the result they gained in Madrid last season, it would mean that Flick’s side would go back to three points clear at the top of La Liga in what has been a dominant start for his side, maintaining the position that they have held at the end of each week this season.

Though, should Simeone’s side grab all three points, we would see new league leaders.

Team News

Atlético Madrid:

Simeone will be without Cristian Romero and Johnny Cardoso, with muscle and thigh injuries, respectively. That being said, Morten Hjulmand will be available for the hosts this weekend, returning to the squad after he missed the Champions League clash against Bayern Munich.

Lee is also expected to return to the squad, possibly replacing Alexander Sørloth, who played midweek.

Julián Álvarez, who has earned his place back in the squad, looks to play against the side that he was desperate to join in the summer.

Barcelona:

Flick will have many more considerations when picking his squad this weekend.

Rodri will miss the match due to a hamstring injury alongside Dani Olmo, with both players key starters for the Catalan side. Other players such as Jules Koundé, Eric García and Andreas Christensen also face later assessments, with the latter two suffering from an ankle injury.

Expected Lineups

Atlético Madrid: Oblak, Grimaldo, Hancko, Pubill, Llorente, Baena, Koke, Barrios, Simeone, Álvarez, Lee.

Barcelona: García, Eric García, Cubarsí, Martín, Cancelo, de Jong, Pedri, Yamal, López, Gordon, Raphinha.