Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona Preview: Team News & Prediction | 2025-26 UEFA Champions League | Quarter-Final
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For the sixth time this season, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are facing off against each other as they challenge for a semi-final spot in the UEFA Champions League.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / USA – Not televised
How to watch online: UK – HBO Max / USA – DAZN & Paramount+
Atletico Madrid preview: Entertaining Atleti
Atletico Madrid have evolved themselves into becoming one of the better teams to watch in Spain with an exciting group of attackers that have a Copa del Rey final to look forward to, as well as their European run.
Los Rojiblancos were beaten at the weekend in a game that Diego Simeone made clear was more of an irritation, rather than anything else, away at Sevilla, losing by two goals to one against the relegation-threatened Andalusians.
Barcelona preview: Blaugrana need a comeback
That impressive European run for Atleti has them in pole position to reach the final four after they managed to defeat Barcelona by two goals to nil at Camp Nou in the first-leg, with Pau Cubarsi’s red card punished by Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth strikes.
The Blaugrana most recently hammered Espanyol by four goals to one in the Barcelona derby at the weekend against Espanyol, extending their lead at the top of La Liga to nine points over Real Madrid.
Atletico Madrid team news: Pubill suspended
Atletico defender Marc Pubill is missing through suspension for this one, with several players missing through injury, too, such as Jan Oblak, David Hancko and Pablo Barrios.
It will be intriguing to see how open and attacking Simeone leaves their front four, with Alex Baena a more conservative option but down the pecking order at the moment.
Predicted XI (4-4-2): Musso; Molina, Le Normand, Lenglet, Ruggeri; Simeone, Llorente, Koke, Lookman; Alvarez, Griezmann
Unavailable: Oblak (Injured), Pubill (Suspended), Gimenez (Injured), Hancko (Injured), Barrios (Injured), Johnny (Injured), Gonzalez (Injured)
Questionable:
Barcelona team news: Cubarsi suspended
Pau Cubarsi is now missing through suspension after his red card last week, leading to a frustratingly awkward reshuffle in defence with the versatile Eric Garcia sliding back.
The big absentee, both for their on-the-ball and off-the-ball quality, Brazil international winger Raphinha remains sidelined due to a hamstring injury.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): J. Garcia; Kounde, E. Garcia, Araujo, Cancelo; Pedri, De Jong; Yamal, Fermin, Rashford; Lewandowski
Unavailable: Cubarsi (Suspended), Christensen (Injured), Bernal (Injured), Raphinha (Injured)
Questionable: Martin (Injured)
Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona prediction
In the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, Atletico won the first-leg by four goals to nil before losing the second-leg 3-0 with Barca putting up a massive fight. Many may expect the two sides to play out a similar reverse fixture here again, albeit the difference is the second-leg is now at the Metropolitano. Barca get forward with abandon even when the tie is delicately poised, so it should be a similar game plan here and so a high-scoring clash seems inevitable.
Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona Tip: Over 2.5 goals
