Mansion Sports – The LaLiga 2025/2026 campaign continues to deliver high-profile fixtures, and one of the most anticipated matchups on matchday 19 is the encounter between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

The clash is scheduled to take place at Spotify Camp Nou on Tuesday, 2 December 2025, with kickoff set for 21:00 local time.

Both teams enter the match with strong ambitions to maintain their positions near the top of the table. Barcelona currently lead the standings, while Atletico Madrid sit in fourth place with only a three-point gap.

Ahead of this pivotal fixture, here is Mansion Sports’ projected lineup preview for Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid in December 2025.

Team Conditions Ahead of the Match

Barcelona

Barcelona may not have fully rediscovered the dominant form they displayed last season, yet they have managed to retain the top position after completing 14 LaLiga fixtures.

Hansi Flick’s squad have secured 11 victories so far, including four consecutive wins following their defeat to Real Madrid at the end of October.

They overcame Elche, Celta Vigo, and Athletic Bilbao before responding to their Champions League loss against Chelsea with a 3–1 home victory over Deportivo Alaves.

Despite conceding within 43 seconds, Barcelona quickly recovered through Lamine Yamal’s equaliser, followed by a brace from Dani Olmo. The result extended their unbeaten run against Alaves in LaLiga to 16 matches.

With Real Madrid preparing to face Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona have an opportunity to widen the gap to four points should they defeat Atletico.
Their tally of 39 goals underscores the sharpness of their attacking line as they face one of the league’s strongest defensive units.

Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid experienced an unsteady start to the season, recording three wins, four draws, and one defeat in their first eight league matches.

Their performance, however, improved significantly as they went on a six-match winning streak in LaLiga.

In total, they have now collected seven consecutive victories across all competitions since their 4–0 loss to Arsenal on 21 October.

Last week, they earned a dramatic 2–1 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League before continuing their positive momentum with a 2–0 triumph over Real Oviedo, courtesy of two goals from Alexander Sorloth.

The victory over Oviedo also placed Diego Simeone alongside Miguel Muñoz as the manager with the second-most wins in LaLiga history, with 323 victories.

Atletico now aim to secure their second consecutive away win over Barcelona after Sorloth scored a 96th-minute winner during their visit to Camp Nou in December 2024.

Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid Predicted Lineups – December 2025

Barcelona (4-2-3-1)

Barcelona remain without Marc-André ter Stegen and Gavi, while Fermin Lopez is also ruled out due to a calf issue.

Ronald Araujo, who missed the match against Alaves due to illness, is doubtful for the midweek fixture.

Eric Garcia is expected to be available despite being withdrawn at halftime in the previous match.

Frenkie de Jong returns to the squad after his absence for personal reasons, and both Kounde and Pedri are strong candidates to start.

Atletico Madrid (4-1-4-1)

Atletico travel to Barcelona without Marcos Llorente, who is still recovering from a thigh injury. Robin Le Normand is also unlikely to return from the knee problem he sustained in the Champions League match against Union Saint-Gilloise.

Diego Simeone is expected to reinstate Jose Maria Gimenez, Matteo Ruggeri, Pablo Barrios, Johnny Cardoso, and Giuliano Simeone after resting several players in the previous match.

Julian Alvarez is the leading option to spearhead the attack despite Sorloth’s strong performance last weekend.

This duel pits two teams with contrasting yet equally effective playing approaches against each other.

This match will be a test to see if Barcelona can maintain their top position or if Atletico can capitalize on the momentum.