This Tuesday night, in the return semi-final of the Copa del Rey, FC Barcelona hosts Atlético de Madrid. After a heavy 4-0 defeat in the first leg, the Catalans will need to overcome a four-goal deficit, focusing mainly on their attack, while the Madrid side will look to protect their lead with a solid defensive display. The likely line-ups for this match are detailed below.
The result of the first leg, which Atlético won convincingly, surprised many observers. On February 12, after a streak of six consecutive victories across all competitions, Barça suffered a heavy defeat in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final. This match marked one of the rare occasions this season where the Catalan club conceded four goals without scoring any.
Since that poor performance, Barça has bounced back. The team now sits at the top of La Liga, four points clear. The question remains whether the Catalans have enough confidence to score four goals against one of the toughest defenses in the Spanish league. There’s a strong motivation in Catalonia ahead of this match, and the lineup put together by the coach will do everything to erase the humiliation of the first leg.
For this clash, FC Barcelona will be without several key players, including Robert Lewandowski, Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, and Andreas Christensen, all injured, while Eric Garcia is suspended. On the other hand, Atlético will miss Pablo Barrios and Nicolás González.
In recent hours, the Spanish press has suggested that Atlético’s coach, Diego Simeone, might adopt a very defensive 5-4-1 formation to maintain the advantage gained in the first match. However, a 4-4-2 setup is also being considered, with a very low organization on the pitch.
Likely line-ups:
FC Barcelona: Joan García – Jules Koundé, Pau Cubarsí, Gerard Martín, João Cancelo – Marc Bernal, Pedri, Fermín López – Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres, Raphinha.
Atlético de Madrid: Jan Oblak – Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill, Dávid Hancko, Matteo Ruggeri – Johnny Cardoso, Koke – Giuliano Simeone, Álex Baena – Julián Álvarez, Alexander Sørloth.
