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Although Madrid's "Atletico" and "Barcelona" play each other twice every season, the match taking place on Saturday is only the fourth in 20 years when these teams will face each other while being at the top of the tournament table.
Out of three such matches, the capital's team has won two, while the Catalan club has won one.
This season, "Barcelona" and "Atletico" also hold the first two positions in La Liga, each with 49 points. However, the current Spanish champions are technically ranked higher due to a better goal difference.
The first time these Madrid and Barcelona teams tested their strength in such positions was in the 1995-1996 season. Back then, "Barcelona" traveled to the capital hoping to close the one-point gap to "Atletico" on the table, but everything turned upside down. The Catalan team left home with a four-point deficit as the Madrid team celebrated a 3-1 victory.
The second showdown of the leaders was played in the second round of the same season. The "Atletico" team had gathered 74 points and took the lead, while "Barcelona," in the second position, had 71 points. The attempt of the Catalonians to defeat the "mattresses" at their home Camp Nou stadium ended in failure once again, with a 3-1 victory for "Atletico."
The third duel had to wait for 17 years. In the 2012-2013 season, Tito Vilanova's coached "Barcelona" had 43 points after 15 games before facing "Atletico," while Diego Simeone's team had 36 points after the same number of matches and was in second place.
That time, the Catalans achieved a convincing victory with a score of 4-1, increasing their lead over the Madrid team to 9 points. "Barcelona" went on to win the national championship that season, reaching a record-breaking 100 points.
