Barcelona travel to Madrid to face Atletico Madrid at Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid on Matchday 16 of the 2022-23 La Liga season today, January 8, 2022. They are meeting for the 239th time in the league.
It's no secret that Barcelona dominate these matchups, as they have won 106 meetings between the two teams while Atletico Madrid have triumphed in 76, and 56 games have resulted in a tie. The two teams last met on February 6, 2022, with Xavi Hernandez and his players coming out on top 4-2 in the previous campaign.
For their inaugural 2022-2023 La Liga season clash, fans can expect an even more thrilling battle. While the Blaugrana's potent offensive poses a danger, Robert Lewandowski won't be there to aid them.
Why is Robert Lewandowski not playing in Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona?
Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski has been suspended for three La Liga matches, beginning with today's play against Atletico Madrid. The initial suspension was handed down after the Pole received a red card in the 2-1 victory against Osasuna in early November. That match served as the last tuneup for the club before the World Cup.
After receiving two yellow cards, the experienced striker was sent off the field and given an automatic one-game ban. But for an apparent gesture towards referee Gil Manzano, he was suspended for an additional two games.
At first, Xavi Hernandez's side tried to have the suspension reversed by petitioning the RFEF, the governing body of soccer in Spain. The club's appeal was denied, but it did not stop pushing the issue further.
Moreover, while the issue was still being investigated by Spain's administrative court for sport, the ban was temporarily lifted, enabling Lewandowski to play against Espanyol in the city derby over the weekend. As a consequence, Espanyol have complained to RFEF. The ban was subsequently confirmed, meaning that Lewandowski would miss the upcoming matches against Atletico Madrid, Getafe, and Girona.
