Atletico Madrid managed to pick up a 2-0 win in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final vs Barcelona, and they will be confident of getting the job done here. The Colchoneros are coming into this game on the back of four defeats in their last five matches, with the only win coming in the first leg against Barcelona.
It will be interesting to see if they can step up their performance levels against the reigning La Liga champions once again. On the other hand, Barcelona have won five of their last six matches in all competitions.
Interestingly, the Catalan club’s only defeat during this run was against Atletico Madrid. They will view it as an aberration and seek to overturn the deficit here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Jan Oblak, Jose Maria Gimenez, David Hancko, Johnny Cardoso, and Pablo Barrios are all unavailable, while Marc Pubill is suspended. Atletico Madrid will shape up in a 4-4-2 formation vs Barcelona, with Juan Musso in goal.
Marcos Llorente and Matteo Ruggeri will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight defensively and help out during transition. Robin Le Normand and Clement Lenglet will form the central defensive partnership.
Giovanni Simeone and Ademola Lookman will start on the flanks. They will look to protect the full-backs and help out in the final third. As for the midfield unit, Koke will start alongside Rodrigo Mendoza.
They will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park and break down the opposition’s attacking moves. Finally, Julian Alvarez will lead the line for Atletico Madrid alongside Antoine Griezmann.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Musso, Llorente, Le Normand, Lenglet, Ruggeri; Simeone, Mendoza, Koke, Lookman; Griezmann, Alvarez
Barcelona are without Pau Cubarsi, who will serve a suspension after being sent off in the first leg. Meanwhile, the injured trio of Andreas Christensen, Raphinha and Marc Bernal remain in the treatment room.
Barcelona will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Atletico Madrid, with Joan Garcia in goal. Jules Kounde and Joao Cancelo will start as the full-backs. They will keep things tight at the back and hit Atletico Madrid on the break. Ronald Araujo and Gerard Martin will pair up at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Eric Garcia will add defensive cover from the double pivot, and Pedri will add composure, creativity and control alongside him. Dani Olmo will start in the number ten role and look to link the midfield to the attack.
He will also look to create opportunities for his teammates in the final third. Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford will add pace, flair, and goals on either side of him. Finally, Robert Lewandowski will lead the line for Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Joan Garcia; Kounde, Araujo, Martin, Cancelo; Eric Garcia, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Rashford; Lewandowski
The Atletico Madrid striker is our key player to watch out for. Alvarez was outstanding in the first leg of the quarter-finals, and the home team will depend on him to get them through to the next round.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner is more than just a goalscorer, and he could also create important opportunities for his teammates. Additionally, he has applied more high-intensity pressures than any other player in the UEFA Champions League this season (767), while only Ayoub El Kaabi (123) has applied more in the opposition box than the Argentine (116).
So, Barcelona will need to keep the 26-year-old striker quiet if they want to turn things around. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid will hope that Julian Alvarez can make a defining impact with his engine and help them reach the semi-finals.
Both teams will look to put up a strong fight here, and this is likely to be a cracking contest. Atletico Madrid did well against Barcelona in the first leg, but this will be a difficult outing. The Blaugrana will be desperate to overturn the deficit.
Both teams are likely to get on the score sheet, and Barcelona should be able to grind out a narrow victory. They have more quality in the attack, and they will look to rectify their mistakes from the first leg. However, it might not be enough to get them through to the semi-finals.
