Atletico Madrid v Barcelona match preview
Diego Simeone and Carlo Ancelotti won’t agree, however neutrals shall be hoping Atletico Madrid and Barcelona proceed the place they left off when the perimeters meet for a spot within the Copa del Rey last following an epic within the first leg of their final-four tie on February 25.
The Spanish heavyweights traded two objectives every inside the primary 22 minutes on the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, the place Inigo Martinez and Robert Lewandowski put Barca 4-2 up earlier than an 84th-minute Marcos Llorente reply and Alexander Sorloth’s 93rd-minute equaliser ensured the sport completed 4-4.
“We’re in nice type for the time being and we’re creating a whole lot of possibilities when we’ve got the ball,” Blaugranes supervisor Hansi Flick stated after the 4-1 dwelling win over Girona on Sunday, transferring the victors three factors away from Actual Madrid and 6 above Atleti on the prime of LaLiga with the assistance of two Lewandowski strikes inside 17 second-half minutes.
“The wonderful thing about my group is that we all the time need to rating objectives and everybody likes to see that. Lewandowski is actually essential. I don’t like to pick people however he’s particular contained in the field.”
Numbers keep talking#BarçaGirona | #LaLigaHighlights pic.twitter.com/2oGgFZKsjo
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 1, 2025
Barca’s outstanding complete of 82 objectives after 29 league video games is 35 greater than Atleti have bagged, and the 10-time Copa del Rey winners’ title problem is in severe jeopardy after a run of 1 level from three video games.
Juavi Puado’s penalty denied Atleti victory at relegation-threatened Espanyol on Saturday in a match they badly wanted to win following a 2-1 defeat at Getafe and a 4-2 loss at dwelling to Barcelona.
These outcomes imply the Copa del Rey represents by far their finest likelihood of a trophy this season and the type of ahead Julian Alvarez, who’s the competitors prime scorer as a part of a debut season that includes 23 objectives in 45 appearances in all competitions to this point, will improve their optimism.
Atleti will even take encouragement from their standing because the final group to beat Barcelona in any competitors, Sorloth’s 96th-minute winner in a 2-1 comeback win on December 21 giving them a primary victory within the fixture because the away group since February 2006 and ending Simeone’s 17-match winless run in opposition to their opponents.
🎙️ About Atleti vs FC Barcelona 👇 pic.twitter.com/Q2Ch1A4eLg
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) March 31, 2025
Atletico Madrid v Barca group information
Flick is prone to restore a number of gamers who have been rested from his beginning line-up in opposition to Girona, which means potential begins in defence for Pau Cubarsi and Alejandro Balde.
Midfielder Frenkie de Jong got here on in its place and ahead Raphinha was not used from the bench following his return from worldwide obligation with Brazil.
Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has been again in coaching following a severe knee damage and midfielder Dani Olmo is anticipated to return by the tip of April from an adductor damage.
Robin Le Normand went off after a nasty conflict of heads in final weekend’s draw with Espanyol. Though Atleti stated later that that they had no issues over attainable longer-term injury, the defender shouldn’t be prone to be concerned on Wednesday. Clement Lenglet and Jose Maria Gimenez ought to begin as a substitute, simply as they did within the first leg.
Lewy in killer mode#BarçaGirona | #LaLigaHighlights pic.twitter.com/JkWzoRYtgL
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 1, 2025
Robin Le Normand is probably going to get replaced by Jose Maria Gimenez at centre-back for Atleti after being substituted in opposition to Espanyol with a head damage.
Modifications may very well be afoot in midfield, the place Rodrigo De Paul began the primary leg however was on the bench in opposition to Espanyol, and Alvarez is prone to return in assault, having initially been rested on Saturday following his return from Argentina motion.
Atleti v Barcelona anticipated line-ups
Atletico Madrid beginning XI: Oblak; Llorente, Gimenez, Lenglet, Javi Galan; Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Samuel Lino; Griezmann, Alvarez.
Barcelona beginning XI: Szczesny; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Balde; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Gavi, Raphinha; Lewandowski
