FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid: Winning points by different routes
This Tuesday at 9pm CET, Barça face one of the real red-letter fixtures of the season: Atlético Madrid’s visit to the Spotify Camp Nou. Hansi Flick’s side host Diego Simeone’s men in this brought-forward clash that was rescheduled due to January’s Super Cup. And the visitors arrive in Barcelona in outstanding form, backed by some eye-catching numbers.
Only 18 minutes behind
No team in La Liga has spent fewer minutes trailing than Atlético. Across 14 league games, they’ve only been behind for 18 minutes out of a possible 1,260. Eighteen! For context, the next best team in this metric is Real Madrid, and they’ve trailed for 119. What’s more, Simeone’s side have scored first in all 14 matches. They’ve literally never conceded the first goal. It’s a new all-time Liga record.
One defeat
Those 18 minutes are spread across only two games. The first came on opening day away to Espanyol, where Atlético suffered their one and only league defeat so far, a 2–1 loss in which they were behind for just six minutes before the winner arrived in the 84th. The second time was in the Madrid derby. Atlético led early and eventually won 5–2, but did briefly go 2-1 down for 12 minutes.
Barça the comebackers
Even so, Barça have every reason to feel confident. Flick’s team are the comeback specialists of the league this season (as they were last season too), winning 12 points from losing positions, far more than anyone else. Real Sociedad and Celta Vigo are joint-second with seven. As we have seen so many times, Saturday's game with Alavés included, this Barça side know how to fight back when the going gets tough.
Back on top
And they head into the match as league leaders, after Madrid slipped up in a 1-1 draw away to Girona on Sunday. It’s Barça’s first time at the summit since matchday 7, when they beat Real Sociedad, after another comeback of course!
Everything is set, then, for a fascinating showdown: the league’s strongest comeback team against one of its most resilient sides. Bring on Tuesday!