The Riaz Air Metropolitano Stadium is set to host a high-profile clash as Barcelona travel to face Atlético Madrid in the top-of-the-table clash of La Liga matchday 30, this Saturday, in the first of three consecutive encounters between the two sides this season.
The Spanish Football Federation announced, in an official statement on Friday, the appointment of international referee Mateu Busquets Ferrer to officiate this highly anticipated clash.
The Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo noted that this will be the second match he has refereed for Barcelona during the current 2025/2026 season.
The first match was against Rayo Vallecano and ended in a 1-1 draw, a game which saw technical issues with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, resulting in it not being used for most of the first half.
In total, the referee has officiated six La Liga matches involving Barcelona, in which the Catalan side have recorded four wins and one draw (excluding the Rayo Vallecano match).
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The last match he refereed this season was the postponed fixture against Osasuna, which the Catalan side won 3-0.
As for Atlético Madrid, this will be the sixth time Busquets Ferrer has refereed a match for the Rojiblancos in various competitions.
Under his stewardship, the Madrid side have recorded one win and one draw, alongside three defeats; the most notable of these matches were the 1-1 draw against Real Madrid in last season’s capital derby and the 3-0 victory over Valencia at the Mestalla.
