2-4-6-8 ? FCB v ATM

Saturday Night Fever in the Camp Nou as FCB entertain ATM in what promises to be a goal feast. The last 2 matches here between these two yielded 6-1 and 5-2 victories for FC Barcelona. Then who could forget the Cup match in the 1996/97 season where Atletico went in at half-tine 0-3 up (the first leg having been 2-2 in the Calderon), Ronaldo brought Barça back to 2-3, but Pantic got his fourth of the evening to make it 2-4 ? I remember being in a bar in Mataro with an American friend of mine, Ernie, and him asking me what the chances of a comeback were and me saying impossible. However, Figo, Ronaldo and Pizzi made it an incredible 5-4!

Times are hard for the Atletico fans though. Last season they celebrated winning the Europa League (their first silverware since the 95-96 double) and the European Super Cup over Benitez's Inter Milan, but this season normal service has been resumed for the long-suffering matress boys. Being knocked out of the cup by Real Madrid finally broke any sign of a bond between players, manager and fans. Looking at their forums the great majority are settling for a defeat less than 5-0 and the fact that winning at the Camp Nou would only help the Men in White anyway. During the transfer window Diego Forlan was probably the player in European football who most wanted to be rescued. The WC Golden Ball winner has joined Raul Garcia at the top of the boo boys' lists for the lack of goals and indeed the lack of alegria in his game. Even Filipe Luis, the player both Barça and Real Madrid wanted, has been affected by the negative vibe wafting around the club.

Puyol apart, Jeffren is also injured, expect the gala 11 of Valdés, Maxwell, Abidal (excellent in the centre-half role), Piqué, Alves, Iniesta, Busquets, Xavi, Villa, Pedro & Messi. The win will put FCB 10 points ahead of Real Madrid who face a Real Sociedad tomorrow that normally shouldn't pose a threat, but with CR7 off form and the team struggling to score, who knows? Difficult to get motivated when everyone in the country, except kids who still wait up for Father Christmas, believes FCB have got the league title in the bag.

When Barça win tonight it will be a record-breaking 16 league wins on the trot, this beating Alfred di Stefano's Real Madrid's 1960/61 run.

Prediction:

FCB 6-1 Atletico Madrid

p.s. Yes, it's the Tom Robinson Band.