Barcelona and Atletico Madrid go head-to-head in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Tuesday night. With both teams chasing silverware on multiple fronts, a closely contested battle is expected.
Barcelona’s Pursuit of Another Copa del Rey Triumph
Barcelona, the most successful club in Copa del Rey history with 31 titles, are aiming to reclaim the trophy for the first time since 2021. While their primary focus remains on La Liga and the Champions League, Hansi Flick’s side have been dominant in the tournament so far, scoring 14 goals en route to the semi-finals.
Blaugrana are in excellent form, currently on a 13-match unbeaten run in all competitions, including a 2-0 victory over Las Palmas last weekend that kept them atop La Liga on head-to-head record. With a crucial Champions League clash against Benfica looming, Barcelona will be eager to take control of this tie before the second leg in April.
Atletico Madrid’s Strong Campaign Continues
Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid are also enjoying an impressive season, sitting just one point behind Barcelona in La Liga and preparing for a Champions League last-16 showdown with Real Madrid. They extended their unbeaten streak to eight matches with a commanding 3-0 win over Valencia last weekend.
Atletico have not lifted the Copa del Rey since 2013, and while their priorities lie elsewhere, they see this competition as a realistic chance for silverware. Having beaten Barcelona 2-1 in La Liga earlier this season, they will be confident of causing problems once again.
Team News & Predicted Lineups
Barcelona could welcome back Andreas Christensen, while Lamine Yamal is expected to feature despite a minor injury scare. Ferran Torres, despite his recent goal-scoring form, may start on the bench.
Atletico are likely to rotate, with Juan Musso continuing as their Copa del Rey goalkeeper and Pablo Barrios returning from suspension. Javi Galan and Jose Gimenez are also expected to be recalled.
Barcelona possible XI: Szczesny; Kounde, Araujo, I. Martinez, Balde; De Jong, Pedri; Raphinha, Olmo, Yamal; Lewandowski.
Atletico Madrid possible XI: Musso; Molina, Gimenez, Le Normand, Galan; Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Lino; Griezmann, Alvarez.
