The early days of the Hansi Flick era in Barcelona couldn't have gone better, with the team playing like one of the world's best for the first two months of the 2024-25 season. Suddenly, come Nov, 10. things took a turn and now, the honeymoon period is over.

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid meet in a top-of-the-table La Liga showdown on Saturday evening. The Catalan club have seen their lead at the top of La Liga whittled away by Diego Simeone's men, who are now level on points with Barca and hold a game in hand over their rivals.

When Atletico Madrid led the Spanish league in spending on summer transfers, Diego Simeone's club was making a bet it could challenge for its first title since 2021. On Saturday, Atletico can move to the top of the table with a win at a Barcelona side that is struggling to reproduce its great start to the campaign.