Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona Odds & Prediction – La Liga Matchday 8

• Faltering FC Barcelona visit Atletico Madrid as lengthy underdogs on La Liga odds
• Barca on the rebound following a lopsided loss to Benfica in UCL play, while Atletico aim to overcome scoring drought on home turf
• We’ve got you covered with all the odds and trends ahead of Saturday afternoon’s La Liga clash at Estadio Wanda Metropolitano

FC Barcelona will be aiming to rebound from a crushing 3-0 loss to Benfica in UEFA Champions League play when they return to La Liga action on Saturday against Atletico Madrid as a lengthy +330 road underdog. Barca have struggled so far this season in European play, but have been steady in league contests, going undefeated through their first six outings of the season.

Listed as strong -110 favorites in Saturday’s clash, Atletico are coming off a thrilling 2-1 win over AC Milan in UCL group stage play, but are winless in their past two La Liga contests on home turf.

Here’s a look at all the odds, trends, and best bets ahead of this La Liga Matchday 8 marquee matchup, set for 3:00 pm ET on Saturday afternoon at Estadio Wanda Metropolitano.

Atletico Madrid vs FC Barcelona La Liga Odds

Odds as of Oct 1 at DraftKings

Barca Plagued by Inconsistency

Barca’s struggles to establish momentum this season continued this week, with the club’s lopsided loss to Benfica in UCL group stage action. Riding high following last weekend’s 3-0 thrashing of Levante UD, the club came out flat against Benfica. The club surrendered the first goal in the third minute, and never mounted a serious threat at a comeback as the Portuguese side added a pair of insurance markers in the second half.

BARCELONA ARE DOWN ALREADY!

Uruguayan starlet Darwin Nunez puts Benfica ahead just two minutes into the match 😱 pic.twitter.com/R6MtAfgDUJ

— DAZN Canada (@DAZN_CA) September 29, 2021

The loss extended what has been somewhat of a scoring drought for Barca. Even with last week’s win over bottom-feeding Levante, Barcelona have now mustered a meagre one goal per match in their past seven outings across all competitions. The club has particularly struggled on the road, scoring just once during a dismal 0-2-1 win-draw-loss run since the start of the campaign.

Depay Leading Sputtering Barca Attack

The one bright spot for Barca on offense has been the play of forward Memphis Depay. The diminutive Dutchman has been steady in his Barcelona debut, potting a club-leading three goals through his first six outings, including the match winner in last week’s victory over Levante.

Memphis Depay vs Levante:

– 1 goal
– 3 key passes
– 3 chances created
– 90 touches
– 12 duels won
– 6 dribbles
– 6 fouls won pic.twitter.com/nsfORCiXto

— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) September 26, 2021

Depay represents over a quarter of Barca’s goal production this season. And while the Barcelona offence should be viewed with tempered expectations, Depay is worthy of consideration as a lucrative +250 bet to score at some point on Saturday.

Atletico Madrid vs FC Barcelona Head-to-Head Stats

Atletico Aiming for a Turnaround on Home Turf

While Barca aim to rebound from their second lopsided defeat over the past two weeks, Atletico Madrid look to build on this week’s character victory over AC Milan in UCL group stage action. The victory provided Atletico with a shot in the arm after the club were stunned in a 1-0 loss to Alaves in their most recent league outing. That loss marks the club’s first defeat in nine overall contests so far this season, and is also the only blemish on Atletico’s otherwise sparkling record on the road, where they now sport a 4-0-1 record.

#UCL SUAREZ AND GRIEZMANN SECURE ATLETICO MADRID SUCCESS AT SAN SIRO AGAINST AC MILAN IN A 2-1 WIN.
#KMAUPDATES pic.twitter.com/5ZKg5Vaoak

— KABUUBI MEDIA AFRICA (@KabuubiMedia) September 29, 2021

However, things have not gone quite as well at home. The club has been held scoreless on two occasions during a run of three straight draws on home turf. That run comes on the heels of a torrid seven-match home win streak, with each of those victories coming in league play.

Suarez Providing the Spark

Like Barcelona, Atletico have produced spotty offense so far this season. While the club enters the weekend in fourth place on the La Liga table, they rank just ninth in the league in goals score, with nine markers through seven contests.

🗣️ Luis Suarez: “I hope to score on Saturday but I won't celebrate, I have great respect for Barcelona.” https://t.co/XuvO3sNqlY

— Barça Worldwide (@BarcaWorldwide) September 30, 2021

Veteran Luis Suarez has provided a much needed spark for the Madrid offense. The 34-year-old striker potted the winner in the club’s victory over AC Milan earlier this week, and has now found the back of the net three times over his past three outings. While Suarez has yet to find the target this season while playing on home turf, he is deservedly perched atop the player props with +115 odds of scoring anytime, and is worth considering as a +300 value bet to be the first scorer in what is likely to be a low-scoring affair.

The Pick: Draw (+255)