Atlético and Barça set for Copa del Rey semi-final rematch
The Copa holders and Simeone's men are drawn together again at the semi-final stage, with the first leg at the Metropolitano and return at Camp Nou.
Barcelona and Atlético Madrid are set to lock horns once again in the Copa del Rey semi-finals, mirroring last season’s clash at the same stage of the competition.
Rematch of last year’s thriller
The draw has thrown up a proper bobby dazzler with the defending Copa champions Barcelona facing Simeone’s Atlético in what promises to be the tie of the round. Unlike last season, the first leg will be played at Atlético’s Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, with the decisive return leg taking place at Spotify Camp Nou.
This will be the 10th time these two heavyweights have met at the semi-final stage of Spain’s premier cup competition - talk about history repeating itself!
Road to the semis
Both sides have navigated different paths to reach this point:
- Atlético Madrid eliminated Atlético Baleares, Deportivo, and Real Betis
- Barcelona overcame Guadalajara, Racing, and Albacete under Hansi Flick’s guidance
Recent history
Last year’s semi-final was a tale of two completely different matches:
- First leg: A breathtaking 4-4 draw at Montjuïc
- Return leg: Ferran Torres scored the only goal at the Metropolitano to send Barça through
That defeat was actually Atlético’s last home loss until Bodø/Glimt recently breached their fortress last week. This time around, the decisive second leg will be played at Barcelona’s stadium, potentially giving the Catalans the edge.
Head-to-head record
The Cup history between these two sides makes for interesting reading:
- This is the third consecutive Copa semi-final meeting between the clubs
- Barcelona have won the previous two encounters at this stage
- Overall Copa del Rey head-to-head: 49 matches played with Barcelona winning 23 and Atlético 16
League meeting this season
The only clash between the sides this campaign came in La Liga, with Flick’s men winning 3-1 despite Atlético taking the lead through Baena. Raphinha and Dani Olmo turned things around before Ferran Torres sealed it in stoppage time, even as Atlético’s Almada and Griezmann went close to equalizing.
Simeone will be desperate to break his Copa semi-final duck against the Blaugrana at the third time of asking. It’s all set up for another classic between two of Spain’s giants.