Barcelona aren't anywhere near crisis mode, but they might start to approach some serious concern if they can't defeat Atletico Madrid on Saturday. They were seriously tested in mid-week against Valencia, nabbing one point at the Mestalla in a 2-2 draw. The Blaugranas were the far superior team in the final 30 minutes of that match, but they were undoubtedly second best in the first half and were matched in the opening 15 minutes of the second half. Barcelona are still perhaps the best team in the world, but the right team and tactics can beat them.
Barcelona Vs. Atletico Madrid, 2011 Spanish La Liga Week 5 Matchup: Blaugranas In Need Of A Win
FC Barcelona need a win against Atletico Madrid on Saturday
Enter Atletico Madrid, whose new signings Diego and Radamel Falcao are on fire. The Atleti center of midfield still leaves a little something to be desired, but class central midfielders get outplayed by Barcelona, so this might not matter. They’ll concede tons of possession to Barcelona and they won’t pitch a shutout, but they’re extremely capable of nicking a goal or three on the counter and set pieces. They pose a danger for Barcelona without a doubt.
Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid
Time: 10:00 pm local, 9:00 pm BST, 4:00 pm ET
Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
TV: Sky Sports 4 (UK), ESPN Deportes (USA - Spanish), GolTV (Canada)
Online: ESPN3 (USA - English and Spanish)
We’ll have live coverage of Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid and all of the other action across Spain in our La Liga Week 5 StoryStream. For more on the entire world of football, head over to SB Nation Soccer.
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