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Barcelona face the fourth of six encounters with Atlético Madrid this campaign in a thrilling showdown at the top of La Liga.
Barça have claimed two wins and suffered one defeat in their three meetings so far, and will square off against the Madrid club across two legs in the Champions League quarterfinals over the next two weeks. Fortunately for the Catalan side, they have largely thrived in this fixture in recent seasons.
Sitting four points ahead of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga, Barça must capitalize on their strong record against Atléti to maintain—or extend—their advantage this weekend. Their Clásico rivals are in action earlier on Saturday when they travel to a struggling Mallorca side.
Raphinha, Frenkie de Jong Missing for Barcelona
Barcelona were handed a painful setback during the international break as key winger Raphinha picked up a hamstring injury while on Brazil duty. Ruled out until at least early May, he is expected to be replaced by Marcus Rashford on Saturday.
Frenkie de Jong is another notable absentee in Hansi Flick's squad—the Dutch midfielder is edging closer to a comeback but remains unlikely to feature this weekend. Marc Bernal is the natural candidate to fill his role.
Andreas Christensen remains a long-term injury concern, though Jules Koundé and Alejandro Balde have recently rejoined team training ahead of him. Both could be included in the matchday squad on Saturday, but may not be ready to start—particularly with Flick keeping Wednesday's European clash with Atléti in mind.
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Atlético Madrid (4-2-3-1)
GK: Joan García—The Barcelona goalkeeper was rewarded for his outstanding form this season with his first senior Spain cap in the goalless draw against Egypt. A 30-minute appearance will have given him a welcome confidence boost.
RB: Eric García—With Koundé unlikely to be named in the starting XI, García will battle Ronald Araújo for the right back berth in Flick's lineup. Following a nightmare outing in the recent 4–0 loss to Atléti—in which he scored an own goal and received a red card—the Spaniard will be eager to make amends.
CB: Pau Cubarsí—Cubarsí also featured during the international break, keeping a clean sheet and registering an assist in Spain's 3–0 friendly win over Serbia.
CB: Gerard Martín—The natural left back has been regularly deployed at center back this season and could line up alongside Cubarsí against some dangerous Atléti attackers—most notably Barcelona transfer target Julián Alvarez.
LB: João Cancelo—With Balde expected to be reintroduced gradually, Cancelo is set to start against Atléti. The Portugal international has been in impressive form during his recent run in the side.
DM: Pedri—Barça's primary creative force will be tasked with unlocking a characteristically resolute Atléti backline—his influence all the more vital with De Jong sidelined in midfield.
DM: Marc Bernal—Bernal has been a surprisingly consistent scorer for Barça since February, with two of his five goals coming in the 3–0 Copa del Rey semifinal second leg win over Atléti.
RW: Lamine Yamal—Following a distressing night for Yamal and others amid racist chanting from Spain fans during the draw with Egypt, the young star returns to Barça action seeking his first goal against Atléti.
AM: Fermín López—López's current form is impossible to overlook. The Spaniard has contributed two goals and five assists across his last 10 appearances for club and country, and his value to Flick's setup continues to grow week by week.
LW: Marcus Rashford—Raphinha was instrumental in Barcelona's return to free-scoring ways before the international break, but his injury means Rashford will carry the creative and goalscoring responsibility from the left flank in the weeks ahead.
ST: Robert Lewandowski—Following World Cup playoff heartbreak with Poland, Lewandowski is among the high-profile names who will miss this summer's tournament. The experienced striker is now fully focused on ending what could be his final Barcelona season on a winning note.