Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid lineups, starting 11, confirmed team news, injuries: Lamine Yamal and Flick miss final game of 2024 | Sporting News Unit

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On December 21, Barcelona will welcome their rivals, Atletico Madrid, to Catalonia, as the competition for the La Liga title reaches its most intense stage of the season.

As Barcelona's performance at home begins to decline, they could find themselves finishing 2024 in either second or third place, depending on how this match turns out.

Barcelona is currently leading the league, just ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid due to goal difference, while Real Madrid sits one point behind in third place. All three teams are gearing up for their last match of 2024.

Hansi Flick's squad has managed to secure only one victory in their last six league games, while Diego Simeone's side has achieved an impressive streak of 11 consecutive wins in all competitions.

LIVE UPDATE: Stay tuned for real-time updates on the Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid match.

Barcelona Vs. Atletico Madrid: Lineups & News

Barcelona will be missing their young sensation Lamine Yamal, who is dealing with an ankle injury that will keep him out of action until early 2025. Hansi Flick’s team has struggled without the 17-year-old, losing all four league matches he missed so far in the 2024/25 season. Fermin Lopez is likely to take his spot in the starting lineup.

Additionally, the head coach mentioned earlier is absent as Flick is currently serving the second match of his two-game suspension.

Andreas Christensen, Marc Bernal, and Marc-André ter Stegen are still sidelined due to injuries, leaving Barcelona with a depleted squad—a situation that fans have unfortunately grown used to in recent times. However, Ansu Fati is back and available on the bench today, along with Ronald Araujo, who is also on the substitutes' list as he continues his recovery from a long-standing hamstring injury.

Barcelona's starting formation (4-3-3) features Pena in goal, with Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, and Balde forming the defense. In midfield, Gavi, Casado, and Pedri work together, while the attack consists of Lopez, Lewandowski, and Raphinha.

Injured players include Bernal, Christensen, Ter Stegen, and Lamine Yamal. Hansi Flick is suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

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Diego Simeone hasn't reported any new injury issues within his squad, and he might retain the same lineup that secured a 1-0 victory against Getafe last weekend. The only player thought to be sidelined was Angel Correa due to a muscle injury, but he is now available to come off the bench.

Even though Alexander Sorloth came off the bench to score the decisive goal in the last match, he might still find himself on the sidelines. This is mainly due to the excellent performance of Julian Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann leading the attack.

Atletico Madrid's starting formation is a 4-4-2 setup, featuring Oblak as the goalkeeper. The defenders are Llorente, Gimenez, Lenglet, and Galan. In midfield, you'll find Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, and Gallagher. Up front, the forwards are Alvarez and Griezmann.