La Liga: Barcelona v Atletico Madrid match preview
A look ahead to this weekend's title showdown at the Nou Camp
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Your support makes all the difference.By 7pm on Saturday Spain could be crowning champions that aren't either Barcelona or Real Madrid for the first time in a decade.
Valencia were the last team to break the duopoly of those sides, but it is Atletico Madrid, without of title of their own since the 1995/96 campaign, who are threatening to break it again.
Diego Simeone's side need a draw at the Nou Camp to win the title, but Barcelona will retain their crown if they win at their home ground owing to what will be a better head-to-head record.
That the outcome of the season has boiled down to the final match owes much to the two teams' faltering finishes to the campaign. Atletico drew and lost their previous two games while Barcelona picked up just a point from their final two matches.
Heading into the game there is little to tell between the two sides - they've played five times already but only one of those has resulted in a winner - the Champions League quarter-final second leg won by this year's European finalists Atletico.
KICK-OFF: Saturday, 5pm BST
MEETINGS THIS SEASON…
Atletico 1 (Koke) Barcelona 0, Champions League, April 2014
Barcelona 1 (Neymar) Atletico 1 (Diego Costa), Champions League, April 2014
Atletico 0 Barcelona 0, La Liga, January 2014
Barcelona 0 Atletico 0, Super Cup, August 2013
Atletico 0 Barcelona 0, Super Cup, August 2013
STATS…
Over the five games between the sides this season, there have been just three goals.
Lionel Messi is Barcelona’s top scorer in La Liga with 28.
For Atletico Madrid, Diego Costa leads the way with 27. Both trail Cristiano Ronaldo who is on 31.
The last six league meetings between the sides at the Nou Camp have ended in victory for Barcelona. Those matches ended 3-0, 6-1, 5-2, 3-0, 5-0 and 4-1.
Five Barça players started in the five games against Atletico. They are Alves, Mascherano, Sergio and Xavi.
TV: Live on Sky Sports 1.
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