The meeting of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid headlines Matchday 18 in La Liga, with 10 fixtures played across Friday 20, Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 December – the last block of games in Spain’s top flight for the year 2024.
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Barcelona and Atletico will meet at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Montjuic on Saturday night, with the hosts looking to extend a run of five straight La Liga wins over their visitors from the capital city.
Barca have enjoyed a strong first half of the season, though some wobbles in November and December suggest that they will need to up their game – both for this clash against Atletico, and further on in 2025 if they are to attain their goals for the season.
“I don’t think there is a lack of confidence in the players. Players alone can’t win games, it’s always about the team. We need to have good connections in defence and in attack,” said Barcelona manager Hansi Flick. “I believe in the players. I have confidence in them, but things are as they are. When I started here I told them there would be no excuses.”
Atletico, meanwhile, will hope to see a continuation of form from Julian Alvarez, who has come into his own in recent weeks and earned particular praise from manager Diego Simeone.
“He [Alvarez] needed time. All footballers need time, and those who have hierarchy have to be waited for,” explained the Argentine. “Julian, since he started, has gone from less to more. He grew in his ability to interpret how Atletico plays.
“He comes from a different style in Argentina, and also totally different at [previous club Manchester] City. He needed his time. Atletico is this, and they interpret it better and better. All his attributes do our team a lot of good.”
La Liga champions Real Madrid will also be involved in a potential thriller, as they welcome Sevilla to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Los Blancos are unbeaten against the team from Andalusia in a run which stretches back to 2019, but Los Nervinenses have been unpredictable this season and could capitalise on a lack of fluidity – and a defensive injury crisis – which has hampered Real severely this term.
The round also features Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad visiting Osasuna and Celta Vigo respectively, as well as Valencia hosting Alaves, and a Friday night clash between Girona and relegation-threatened Real Valladolid.
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Broadcast details
Friday 20 December
22:00: Girona v Real Valladolid – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga and SuperSport Maximo 3
Saturday 21 December
15:00: Getafe v Mallorca – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga and SuperSport Maximo 3
17:15: Celta Vigo v Real Sociedad – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga and SuperSport Maximo 3
19:30: Osasuna v Athletic Bilbao – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga and SuperSport Maximo 3
22:00: Barcelona v Atletico Madrid – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga and SuperSport Maximo 3
Sunday 22 December
15:00: Valencia v Alaves – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga and SuperSport Maximo 3
17:15: Real Madrid v Sevilla – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga and SuperSport Maximo 3
19:30: Leganes v Villarreal – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga and SuperSport Maximo 3
19:30: Las Palmas v Espanyol – LIVE on SuperSport PSL
22:00: Real Betis v Rayo Vallecano – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga and SuperSport Maximo 3