•Bayern have not conceded any goal beyond the 70th minute in that eight-game sequence, showing their ability to stay firm in the latter stages of a match.
•First-placed Atletico Madrid attempt to end a nine-game win-less La Liga streak in this fixture and with it, extend their lead over rivals Real Madrid to eight points.
Image: /REUTERS
Bayern Munich vs Dortmund (Saturday 20:30)
Bayern have returned to their winning ways, answering a loss to Frankfurt with a 4-1 win against Lazio before ending February by crushing Cologne 5-1 after winning both halves by a precise two-goal margin. Bayern’s lead going into March was just two points, and with 11 Bundesliga games remaining, anything seems possible.
Bayern have not conceded any goal beyond the 70th minute in that eight-game sequence, showing their ability to stay firm in the latter stages of a match.
In a disappointing fifth place, Dortmund have experienced a mixed 2021 in league action so far. However, they have a clear method of their own, claiming four first-half clean sheets across those five wins and netting exactly two goals beyond the hour mark thrice.
Dortmund’s culture for winning is particularly evident on their travels with just one draw from their last 24 Bundesliga away games. With the visitors being outsiders, we expect a defeat for them, though just three of those eight losses, including last season’s league H2H here —saw Dortmund trail at the interval.
Head to head
07.11.20 BUN Dortmund Bayern Munich 2 : 3
30.09.20 SC Dortmund Bayern Munich 2 : 3
26.05.20 BUN Dortmund Bayern Munich 0 : 1
09.11.19 BUN Bayern Munich Dortmund 4 : 0
03.08.19 SC Dortmund Bayern Munich 2 : 0
Osasuna vs Barcelona, (Saturday 23:00)
Osasuna finished last weekend just six points clear of the bottom three despite winning for the third time in four La Liga matches. The hosts will remember well the humbling reverse H2H clash, during which they were breached by four different goal scorers on the day.
Out of nowhere, Barcelona have thrust themselves into a title race that was slipping away by the week. They entered March in second place—albeit eight points shy of leaders Atlético Madrid— thanks much to seven straight league away wins. Six of those seven victorious road trips saw Barcelona lead at the break.
Across all venues, meanwhile, draws remain a relative rarity in Barcelona’s more recent league fixtures, with the Blaugranes drawing just five of their last 30 league games. Exactly half of the wins,10, in that sequence saw Barcelona beat the -2 handicap, with the Blaugranes winning both individual halves in seven of those ten matches.
Head to head
29.11.20 LL Barcelona Osasuna 4 : 0
16.07.20 LL Barcelona Osasuna 1 : 2
31.08.19 LL Osasuna Barcelona 2 : 2
26.04.17 LL Barcelona Osasuna 7 : 1
10.12.16 LL Osasuna Barcelona 0 : 3
Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid (Sunday 18:15)
First-placed Atletico Madrid attempt to end a nine-game win-less La Liga streak in this fixture and with it, extend their lead over rivals Real Madrid to eight points. However, the visitors have an upper hand in this match with Real holding superiority in the all-time H2H and finishing the season above Atlético on 63 previous occasions, compared to their rivals’ 20 times finishing higher. Atletico are looking to make that 21 after recording their second-best win-rate in the league after 24 rounds.
A 1-1 draw in the last round ended Real’s four-game winning league run but for them, this is a must-win match. That recent draw was just the second time since the start of December that Real have conceded the opener in league action.
Four straight competitive away wins show their growing form and with three of those goal-less at HT, it’s clear the second period could be when Real make their move. However, ahead of this round, no side has scored more goals in the opening 15 minutes on the road than Real’s six.
Head to head
12.12.20 LL Real Madrid Atl. Madrid 2 : 0
01.02.20 LL Real Madrid Atl. Madrid 1 : 0
12.01.20 SC Real Madrid Atl. Madrid 1 : 0
28.09.19 LL Atl. Madrid Real Madrid 0 : 0
27.07.19 ICC Real Madrid Atl. Madrid 3 : 7