Champions League: Barcelona and Atletico Madrid Face Crucial Matches for Top-8 Qualification
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Madrid (Spain), Dec 10 (NationPress) The renowned Spanish clubs FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are experiencing different phases of performance as they prepare for critical UEFA Champions League clashes on Wednesday evening. Each team requires a victory to bolster their standings and preserve their prospects of advancing to the knockout rounds.
Barcelona, currently sitting in third place in their 36-team group, faces the challenge of playing away against Borussia Dortmund and Benfica before hosting Atalanta. This daunting schedule indicates that they have significant work ahead to secure a top-eight finish, which would guarantee their direct entry into the Round of 16.
On the other hand, Atletico has a more manageable schedule but must continue to win to elevate themselves from their current 15th position into the top eight. They are set to face last season's finalists, Borussia Dortmund, while Barcelona coach Hansi Flick may be concerned about his team's recent performance in La Liga, where they have suffered two losses and two draws in their last five matches, as reported by Xinhua.
Barcelona's struggles can be attributed partly to a defense that, once robust at the season's start, is now showing vulnerabilities due to a congested fixture list, with limited options for player rotation due to long-term injuries affecting Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen. Araujo is close to making a return and will travel to Germany, although it is unlikely he will feature on Wednesday. Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski are expected to spearhead the attack for Barcelona.
Meanwhile, Atletico should have a considerably easier match as they host Slovan Bratislava, who arrive after enduring five consecutive defeats, conceding 18 goals and netting only four in those matches.
Atletico, in contrast, is showcasing their strongest football of the season, coming off a thrilling 4-3 victory at home against Sevilla. Diego Simeone's team is just one point shy of the top eight, with upcoming matches against Bayer Leverkusen and RB Salzburg, and a Wednesday win would significantly enhance their chances of achieving a top-eight finish.
Antoine Griezmann was exceptional in the match against Sevilla, and with Julian Alvarez and Rodrigo De Paul also in good form, the team anticipates a favorable evening at the Metropolitano Stadium.
