Atlético de Madrid vs FC Barcelona, Prediction, Odds and Betting Tips 17/03/2024

Odds via Tonybet

Atlético de Madrid vs FC Barcelona	March 17, 2024, 4:00 PM EDT
Atlético de Madrid odds	+140
FC Barcelona odds	+185
Draw	+265
Over\Under	3 +106/-125

Atlético de Madrid vs FC Barcelona. Shape of the Teams

Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid find themselves unexpectedly out of the title race this season. This is especially startling for Atlético, given their stellar form and quality until recent hiccups in the last two months.

But much like Barcelona, Atlético is a team crippled by squad-building woes, a fatal flaw at the top level. This explains why Real Madrid and Girona are vieing for La Liga’s crown this season.

Atlético de Madrid and Diego Simeone are on everyone’s lips following their dramatic second leg against Inter at the electric Wanda stadium. The roaring fanbase supported Atlético de Madrid with fervent chants of “Nunca dejes de creer” (Never stop believing) for 120 minutes, as Atlético clawed back in the dying minutes of regulation time.

At home at the Wanda, amidst a sea of passionate supporters in the Champions League knockout, most did not believe in Atlético. This created the perfect conditions for a typical Rojiblanco comeback. And so it happened – the relentless energy of the home side was palpable until deep into extra time, and after the penalty shootout, Atlético came out victorious – yet again.

One might ask how Atlético are not favourites if they always play like this in La Liga or the Champions League. The answer is that Atlético only play like this at home. Many will still remember the 1-0 defeat in the first leg at San Siro when Atlético looked very different.

And only last weekend, the Rojiblancos surprisingly stumbled against Cádiz (2-0) – which is a great example of how Atlético drop points – and the same happened against relegation-bound Almeria (2-2). This is the story of Atlético – and why they are not higher up.

In contrast, Barcelona’s journey to the quarterfinals was somewhat calmer as they smoothly navigated past a wrecked Napoli (3-1). Barcelona maintain a secure hold on third place in La Liga – with a considerable advance over Atlético (fourth) – and won with and without Xavi, who was suspended for the last game.

Unlike their Madrid counterparts, Barcelona have dropped very few points in the last weeks, which explains the large advance over the Rojiblancos, despite not always playing well.

La Liga Leaderboard

Real Madrid — 69 points
Girona — 62 points
FC Barcelona — 61 points
Atlético de Madrid — 55 points
Athletic Club — 53 points

Atlético de Madrid vs FC Barcelona Match Info

Date and Kickoff Time: Sunday, March 17, 4:00 PM EDT
Stadium: Wanda Metropolitano
Location: Madrid, Spain
Last match: FC Barcelona – Atlético de Madrid: 1-0 (December 3, 2023, La Liga)

Atlético de Madrid vs FC Barcelona, Odds

Pick: FC Barcelona to win
Odds: +185 (Tonybet)

Atlético de Madrid will always be the favourite at the heart of the Wanda Metropolitano. However, Atlético’s fatigue plays in Barcelona’s hands, which is why I’d set them as the favourites for this round.

The Catalans played a day earlier, did not have overtime, and were calm in their qualification. This is the polar opposite of the Atlético storyline, who had to wait until penalties to qualify.

Additionally, French superstar Antoine Griezmann was reported to have played through the pain against Inter Milan. And he did not play only a few minutes – he was at the center of the action in a very intense game.

This means that Atlético de Madrid, despite their heroic midweek show, is unlikely to drop a similar performance. Most players will be tired, and the same cannot be said about Barcelona – which is why this tie plays into Barcelona’s hands.

That goal… 😍
That celebration… ❤️‍🔥 pic.twitter.com/hJxUc5fFEK
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 14, 2024

Barcelona is expected to play with João Cancelo and possibly Raphinha in a similar role to Barcelona’s first half against Napoli. Where Barcelona is known to play through the middle, the damning absences of Pedri González and Frenkie de Jong suddenly force Barcelona to play Fermin López and Sergi Roberto, with Gündogan being the last man standing from their usual midfield trio.

Against Napoli, João Cancelo played a conservative role, bombing forward from the left wing once it was safe to do so. However, the question is whether this will work against Atlético. Their strength lies in their wing-play, an area Xavi Hernández’s squad would rather not contest head-on.

Passion pic.twitter.com/jRJTCJJ09g
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 14, 2024

In fact, against Napoli, Barcelona tried to play the ping-pong game with endless counter-attacks. And as many attempts as the Catalans have, it usually backfires. Barcelona will be looking to close the game, while Atlético will look for the opposite – especially with Barrios and Koke, able to unlock any game from the middle of the park.

Atlético de Madrid vs FC Barcelona Betting Tip

Pick: FC Barcelona to win by a one-goal margin
Odds: +380 (Tonybet)

Although Barcelona might be doing well, it’s not quite basking in the same smooth form as Real Madrid. Historically, matches between Atlético and Barcelona have always led to intense neck-to-neck matches that never disappoint.

However, the encounter might be a little different in the current circumstances. Barcelona has the advantage, though it is a small one. Both teams are ridden with squad shortcomings that have prevented the two Spanish giants from dominating the Spanish league.

The spotlight shines brightly on Barcelona’s youthful duo, Pau Cubarsí and Lamine Yamal, whose recent performances have not gone unnoticed.

Cubarsí’s standout performance against Napoli earned him the Man of the Match accolade. However, there are concerns about young talents like Yamal, who should not play every match. Overplaying Yamal might result in a similar fate to that of Ansu Fati and Pedri, who have been suffering recurrent injuries due to overexertion.

Cu cu Cubarsí!
Masterclass! 👏 pic.twitter.com/59tZeBCcxC
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 15, 2024

However, my tip is that Yamal will still play due to Barcelona’s squad’s limitations. Despite only being a teenager, he has been the team’s best player in recent weeks.

Disclaimer: Odds are accurate at the time of posting and subject to change. Please verify the latest odds on our platform before betting.