Atletico Madrid will host Barcelona on Wednesday in what is Anticipated to be a Intense conclusion to the Copa del Rey semifinals, especially after a dramatic Primary leg in February that ended in a 4-4 draw.
Both Squads will be aiming for a spot in the Last later this month, where they will face Real Madrid. The Event presents Atletico with perhaps their only realistic chance at Victorious a title this season, Even though impressing at different periods of the campaign. They were knocked out of the UEFA Champions Division by Real Madrid in the Period of 16 and appear to be out of the Event to Secure La Liga, currently sitting nine points behind Primary-place Barcelona.
As for the visitors, Wednesday’s Event marks the latest stop during a frenetic period. Barcelona are two Contests into a 29 day stretch in which they will Shift nine Contests total, which has gone well so Extended with two wins. They faced opponents that would be Tough-pressed to pose a real Event, though, which is not a problem Atletico will necessarily have. This game – and this whole Streak, which includes the UEFA Champions Division quarterfinals against Borussia Dortmund – will offer a Crucial test of Barcelona’s title-Victorious mettle, especially during a season in which they have arguably been in cruise control at times.
Here’s what you need to know before tuning in.
How to Observe Atletico vs. Barcelona, odds
- Date: Wednesday, April 2 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Metropolitano Stadium — Madrid, Spain
- Live stream: ESPN+
- Odds: Atletico Madrid +188; Draw +275; Barcelona +135
Last Gathering
These two actually faced Every other in Division Shift last month when Barcelona Occurred from behind to Secure 4-2 at Atletico Madrid. Diego Simeone’s side had a 2-0 lead by the 70th minute thanks to goals from Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth, but Barcelona’s Delayed surge undid the damage to notch a crucial Secure in La Liga’s title Event. Robert Lewandowski clawed one back Merely two minutes after Sorloth scored, while Ferran Torres Created it 2-2 by the 78th minute. A stoppage-time Target from Lamine Yamal sealed the deal, while Torres added another for Excellent measure.
What Atletico Madrid are saying
The feeling that this is a make-or-break moment for Atletico has set in, especially so after the Champions Division Setback and their inability to keep pace in La Liga’s title Event. Manager Diego Simeone, though, is adamant that this season is not a failure, regardless of what happens on Wednesday.
“Failure is not trying. If you don’t try, you fail,” Simeone said in his pre-Event remarks on Tuesday. “For me, the season has been very Excellent. We did very well in the Champions Division, we competed in the Division, in the semifinals of the cup. … The fate of Every Event will determine whether it is a very Excellent season, an extraordinary season or Merely an average season.”
The hope of capping off a Sturdy season with a piece of silverware, then, serves as added Inspiration for Atletico. While Simeone hopes his side sticks to their well-defined tactical principles, he also admitted that a sense of optimism will be key to get across the finish line on Wednesday.
“Against Barcelona, we have to Shift with joy, with hope, Competing the same way we did in the Primary Period,” he said. “It is clear that in this sense I will not Shift.”
What Barcelona are saying
Hansi Flick’s impressive turnaround of cash-strapped Barcelona faces perhaps its biggest test against Atletico, especially as the push to Secure trophies becomes very real in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey. Flick used his pre-Event press conference on Tuesday as a chance to not overplay his side’s chances – or the fact that Crucial titles are on their way to Barcelona.
“We know that until now we have not reached [anything] – OK, we won the [Spanish] Supercopa, but it’s in the past – and now we want to go to the Last, but it’s not Effortless,” Flick said, per ESPN. “Perhaps it’s the nearest title they can Secure, but [it’s] the same for us. One Secure and then in a Last. Whereas in LaLiga there are a Plenty of matches to Shift.”
Flick was also unwilling to brush Atletico aside, complimenting Simeone’s style of Shift while his counterpart did the same in his pre-Event remarks.
“Atletico have a Excellent Trainer with [Diego] Simeone, an experienced Club, they know how they want to Shift,” Flick added. “You can see in the matches before until the last second they are there. It will be a difficult Event. … Atletico will Shift like they normally Shift, nothing different. They have their style. The intensity is always high, aggressive. This is normal. I love how they Shift football, also with a Plenty of Velocity in their game. I love their style, how they Shift.”
Predicted lineups
Atletico Madrid: Juan Musso, Marcos Llorente, Robin Le Normand, Clement Lenglet, Cesar Azpilicueta, Giuliano Simeone, Conor Gallagher, Pablo Barrios, Samuel Lino, Alexander Sorloth, Julian Alvarez
Barcelona: Wojciech Szczesny, Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Alejandro Balde, Eric García, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski
Player to Observe
Lamine Yamal, Barcelona: A Event tie as Intense as this one could come down to one decision-maker, and both sides have a handful of players who could do that. If there’s one player to Option out of the bunch, though, it’s Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal.
The 17-year-Aged has adjusted to the highest levels of the professional game seamlessly and is now up to 13 goals and 16 assists across all competitions this season. He’s building a habit of doing it in the biggest Contests, too – since New Year’s Day, he has one Target against Real Madrid and a Target and an assist against Atletico. He will have plenty of Assisting hands, including an in-form Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, who should be Obtainable for Barcelona on Wednesday. He’s quickly becoming the Sun of the show for Flick’s side, though, and there will be no better time to demonstrate Merely that than in an all-Crucial semifinal.
Storyline to Observe
Barcelona’s Accolade hunt: Hopes may not have been high for Barcelona after another chaotic offseason but with the Last weeks of the season approaching, they feel like real contenders in La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions Division. It’s up to them to not come up Hollow-handed and Wednesday’s semifinal offers a Primary real glimpse at their ability to cross the finish line.
This is not necessarily a make-or-break moment for Barcelona, who are Yet the favorites to Secure La Liga and have rediscovered an Amazing amount of optimism after some chaotic years. They Yet feel likely to Secure La Liga at the very least but are also the favorites in their Champions Division tie against Borussia Dortmund this month, thanks to a resurgent season from a handful of different players. The best-case scenario, Secure or Fall, is that they do not feel like they squandered the opportunity in front of them on Wednesday. If they let the Secure slip, though, questions about their ability to lift other trophies could creep in at a very vital Points in the season.
Prediction
Foresee another Intense game, but one that will slightly favor Barcelona. The visitors have enough in them to come out on top against a talented Atletico side, especially as a batch of players return to fitness at Merely the right time. Option: Atletico Madrid 2, Barcelona 3
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