Preview: Barça - Atletico Madrid
Friday, 03 October 08, 11:39 AM · Comments (34)
Barça go into the last game before the international break on the back of five straight wins. However, the last three of those victories have all relied on late winners against Betis, Espanyol and Shakhtar Donetsk, and with an opponent of the quality of Atletico Madrid, Barça will have to perform well to extend the winning streak to six games.
Atletico began the season strongly but last week's home defeat to Sevilla has seen them slip below Barça to 7th in the table. Coach Javier Aguirre will have to make do without Maniche, Forlan, Simao, Seitardis and Pablo for the visit to Camp Nou and he has called up three youngsters from the youth team, Alvaro Dominguez, Keko and Joshua for the trip. Everyone is talking about a duel between Leo Messi and Kun Agüero, and it is true that Agüero destoyed Barça last season in the 4-2 Atletico victory over Barça last March in El Calderon. However, Atletico have another potential match winner in Maxi Rodriguez, and we'll also have to watch out for Sinama-Pongolle.
For once Pep Guardiola has delayed naming the squad until the day of the match which makes it even more complicated to guess what he's going to do. Hopefully he will return to a 4-3-3 system with Leo Messi starting on the right. I would also expect to see Abidal back in the team, and it would not surprise me at all if Sergio Busquets got another start. Barça won the corresponding fixture last season 3-0 with goals from Deco, Messi and Xavi
Possible Starting XI: Valdés; Alves, Piqué, Puyol, Abidal; Xavi, Busquets, Keita; Messi, Eto'o, Iniesta.
My Prediction: Barça 2 Atletico 1
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jorquera
alves-----------puyol---------------marquez--------anyone except abidal
----------------------------------------grandma toure-----------------------
--------------------------xavi-------------------------gudjohnson the white-----
-------------mercy-----------------titi--------------------iniesta
sinama pongolee naw that guy is a danger on the counter
@ FCB88
It is a shame it really is. If Barcelona was in Paris for example I would pedal bike it to the stadium lol. If Barca and the stupid, stupid La Liga idiots released the fixture list even say a month in advance people like me could take advantage of cheap flights! I personally still think for a team of Athletico's quality and quality of players we have, you'd still hope for something near capacity. 
As for the game, I think away would be better as even thought they have Maxi and Ageuro, they will still sit behind the ball which unfortunately we still cant counter. Away from home would see Eto's pace and Messi's creativity really come into affect as at Gijon it seems Pep will finally ditch the 4-4-3 away from home and go for 4-4-2 with Messi behind Eto. Tomorrow it will be the useless and ineffective 4-3-3 again with either Henry or Iniesta wasted on the wing and Messi stifled and poor Eto isolated. Shame that.
Prediction with 4-3-3: 1-1
If Iniesta is attacking midfeild and 4-4-2 formation: 3-1
Maybe its cheating a little but maybe Nic wont mind!! 
Barca 2-1.
I would like to Toure in the starting 11 rather than Keita, as Toure would be able to help stabilize the defence and snuff out any attacks still in their early stages.
I must say that the league administrators have made a complete f**** up of the fixtures this season. LINK
And I agree with Titi on the fact that they should make the fixture list available way in advance so that fans can plan to travel to the stadiums, and secure the cheaper deal. the current set of administrators should all be fired and replaced with ppl who can at least use common sense and brain cells.
Barca 3 Athletico 1.
!
Even if Barca were playing crap I would watch surely you should watch it just to watch Leo and Kun show off their attacking talent!
34 Comments · Add yours
----------------------------Valdes----------------------------
--------------Pique-------Marquez------Puyol------------
------------------------Y.Toure------------------------------
---Alves--------------------------------------------Iniesta--
----------------------------Xavi-------------------------------
------------Messi---------------------Henry-----------------
--------------------------Eto'o---------------------------------
My Prediction: Barça 4 Atletico 2
i just went to the fcb site to the buying ticket section and there are so many empty seats!!! i really hope more ppl show up. i think barca will win 2-1 and thats only cuz we r playing at home.