Barcelona v Atletico Madrid: Catalans target morale-boosting win

Barcelona will be keen to pick up their first Liga win of 2015 against Atletico Madrid amid reports of unrest at the Catalan giants.

A disappointing 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad last time out in the league was followed by a 5-0 thumping of Elche in the Copa del Rey on Thursday, although even that convincing victory saw coach Luis Enrique greeted by a mixed response from fans at Camp Nou.

Jose Maria Bartomeu announced earlier this week that the club will hold presidential elections at the end of the season, while Lionel Messi – the shining light of Barca’s seemingly fading golden era – is thought to be unhappy with the current coaching set-up.

Despite those mounting troubles, Barca occupy a lofty position in La Liga, sitting one point adrift of leaders Real Madrid and level with this Sunday’s opponents.

Reigning champions Atleti come into this weekend’s clash on the back of an impressive 2-0 victory over local rivals Real in a Copa last-16 match that heralded the return of fans’ favourite Fernando Torres.

The Spain international has arrived back at Vicente Calderon on an 18-month loan from Milan and played an hour of Wednesday’s fixture before being brought off shortly after his side had taken the lead through a Raul Garcia penalty.

It is as yet unclear whether Torres will make his Liga return this weekend, but coach Diego Simeone, who lost the likes of Diego Costa and Thibaut Courtois during the close season, has emphasised the importance of the team over individuals.

“I don’t understand this game without the word competition,” he said after Wednesday’s match. “In order to compete against opposition you need to compete together. The team is working very hard.

“In order to have success in three competitions you need to have a group. The team is competitive and we will take on the opposition in whichever competition.”

Discussing Torres, Simeone added: “He offers drive and energy.

“He is strong and fast but needs more time to create an understanding with his team-mates.”

Simeone and his team will have fond memories of Camp Nou as their previous visit last May resulted in them claiming a 1-1 draw that was enough to seal the club’s first Liga title since 1996.

Xavi (calf) could be absent for Barca after missing the midweek clash with Elche, but Jeremy Mathieu returned to training with the rest of the team on Friday.

Cristian Rodriguez was back in Atleti training this week, although the Uruguayan has been strongly linked with a move away from the club this month, and midfielder Cani could be in line for a debut after arriving on loan from Villarreal.