Atletico de Madrid and FC Barcelona will meet on Sunday night in a top-four showdown that could have major implications in LaLiga's fierce title race.
The first meeting of the season between Barcelona (9-4-1, 31 points) and Atletico Madrid (10-1-2, 31 points) could easily be decided by players on one side who will be motivated to pull one over on their former teammates on the other.
For Atletico, that means Antoine Griezmann (starting at forward) and Memphis Depay (on the bench), as Los Rojiblancos seek a first away win against this opponent in LaLiga for 17 years.
For Barcelona, it means Joao Felix gets a chance to show Diego Simeone what he's missing.
Joao enters Sunday's match fresh off scoring the winning goal against FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, helping Barca progress to the competition's knockout phase.
The Portuguese has started nine of the blaugrana's 11 games in LaLiga, and he is enjoying life in Catalonia - although his future, as ever, does not depend only on him.
"For sure I prefer this style at Barcelona - me and every player," Joao told ESPN in an interview this week.
"If you ask every player, if you ask the players from Atletico, too, they would prefer to play more time on the attack, for sure.
If they don't answer that, they are lying.
""It'll be a beautiful game against a team that has very good players, and is led very well by a coach who has very clear ideas," Simeone told the media.
"Our objective is continuing on our path and trying to take the game to where we think we can hurt them.
"Atletico will make at least one change to its 11 for Sunday's matchup.
Saul Niguez has been gaining traction to start in midfield to Koke's left, while Samuel Lino could displace Rodrigo Riquelme at left wing-back - even after the latter produced a man-of-the-match display at Feyenoord on Tuesday.
"Lino and Riquelme are growing, and we need both of them for whatever the team asks," Simeone said.
Simeone also had good news to share on Pablo Barrios, who underwent surgery on Friday to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee.
The coach revealed that Barrios will be ready to return in January, which could affect the club's transfer plans - even more so with Thomas Lemar making excellent progress from his Achilles tear in September.
"I love (Barrios), he has all the characteristics we like," Simeone said.
"He's intense, aggressive, skilled.
He's getting more involved in understanding what he needs to improve.
He's young and has a great future.
We hope this continues upon his return.
"This game preview will be updated with the confirmed matchday squad.
Date Dec.
3, 2023Location Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys (Montjuic), BarcelonaKickoff time 9:00 p.
m.
CET, 8:00 p.
m.
GMT, 3:00 p.
m.
EST, 12:00 p.
m.
PSTSB Nation opposition site Barca BlaugranesAvailable TV/streaming ESPN+ (United States), M+ LaLiga TV (Spain), Viaplay Sports 1 (United Kingdom).
