Atlético Madrid travel to Barcelona this Saturday to face RCD Espanyol in the ninth round of La Liga. Diego Simeone's side arrives at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on a run of five consecutive wins in all competitions, the most recent a 2-0 victory over Manchester United in the Champions League on Tuesday 13 October, with goals from Pablo Barrios and Ademola Lookman.
Confidence is sky-high in the red-and-white dressing room, as the team sits second in the standings with 19 points from six wins, one draw and one loss. They have six wins, one draw and just one loss from their first eight games, though they remain five points behind leaders Barcelona. Their next opponent, Espanyol, is in twelfth place. The team has scored 18 goals and conceded only eight, giving them a goal difference of +10.
Flawless recent form
Atlético's performance in recent weeks has been overwhelming. Following their European triumph, they secured an important 1-2 away win at Alavés, with goals from Grimaldo and Romero. Prior to that, they had already beaten Real Madrid at the Metropolitano (2-1) and thrashed Osasuna (4-0). Their last stumble was at Anfield against Liverpool in early September.
Forward Álex Baena is the team's top scorer this season with four goals in eight appearances. In the last match against Manchester United, the goals were scored by Pablo Barrios in the first minute and Ademola Lookman.
Memory of the last meeting
The most recent precedent between the two teams invites optimism. In their last league meeting, on February 21st, Atlético won convincingly at the Metropolitano by a score of 4-2. Simeone hopes his team can repeat an attacking performance of that calibre, though he knows a ground like Espanyol's is never easy.
With the squad almost at full strength and no major last-minute absences, the Argentine manager has room to rotate. The team faces a week with matches every three days, so managing effort will be key. The match against Espanyol this Saturday 17 October is the next step in a busy fixture schedule.
