FC Barcelona faces a monumental challenge on Tuesday when it hosts Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal, needing to overturn a 4-0 deficit from the first leg.
Atletico Dominates First Leg
In the first leg at the Metropolitano Stadium, Atletico Madrid dismantled Barcelona’s defense, with Giuliano Simeone and Ademola Lookman exploiting the high defensive line and creating numerous chances. The result left Hansi Flick’s side stunned and searching for answers.
Barcelona Hopes for a Comeback
Three weeks later, Barcelona has regained momentum. Raphinha is fully fit, Lamine Yamal is back in top form, and midfielder Pedri has recovered from a hamstring injury that sidelined him in the first leg.
Pedri expressed optimism ahead of the match, saying in an interview with RTVE:
“In the dressing room, the players are saying that if anyone can come back from 4-0 down, it’s us. We have had games where we were 2-0 down and pulled it back in just 20 minutes. Now, we have 90 minutes to try with four goals.”
Barcelona will take confidence from their 4-1 win over Villarreal on Saturday, highlighted by a hat-trick from Lamine Yamal, with Pedri and Marc Bernal controlling midfield play.
Key Absences and Returns
• Frenkie de Jong misses the game due to a hamstring injury.
• Robert Lewandowski is out with a fractured eye socket sustained against Villarreal.
• Marcus Rashford returns after a substitute appearance on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone rested several key players during the weekend 1-0 win over Oviedo. Giuliano Simeone, Julian Alvarez, Antoine Griezmann, Marcos Llorente, and Koke are expected to start against Barcelona.
Historical Context
Last season, the Copa del Rey semifinal first leg between Barcelona and Atletico ended in a thrilling 4-4 draw at Montjuic. This time, Atletico only needs a single counterattack goal to maintain their advantage, leaving Barcelona with a daunting task.
Other Semifinal
Real Sociedad defends a 1-0 first-leg lead at home against Athletic Bilbao in the second Copa del Rey semifinal on Wednesday night.