You again? Yes, indeed familiarity breeds contempt as FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid square off for the second time in four days and fourth time since Feb 12. Atletico took the two-legged Copa del Rey seminfinal tie 4-3 on aggregate, having won the first leg 4-0, before then dropping the second leg 0-3. Barcelona struck back by winning the La Liga fixture on Saturday, 2-1. So we’re knotted up all square on competitions, 1-1, with the rubber match now happening in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. The first leg occurs on Wednesday, at the Camp Nou, with Barca having two new fitness concerns in Ronald Araujo and Marc Bernal. So let’s get you up to speed on it all.
Atletico Madrid at FC Barcelona FYIs
Kickoff: Wednesday April 8, Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain, 8pm
Competition: UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal, Leg 1/2
Google Result Probability: Barca win 63% Draw 19% Atletico Madrid win 18%
Barca Team News
Araujo left the pitch after 41 minutes on Saturday, due to tightness in the left thigh muscle. He was replaced by Bernal, who was then substituted after 63 minutes, with Jules Kounde replacing him. Araujo is good to go for Wednesday night, as he’s returned to training. The Bernal situation is worse, as he’s dealing with a left ankle sprain. He’s likely to miss out in midweek and could actually miss the entire tie here.
Meanwhile midfield maestro Frenkie de Jong is trying to speed up his recovery from the hamstring injury he’s dealing with. He won’t be ready in time for this one, nor on the weekend in the league fixture, but could be back for the second leg of this tie. Andreas Christensen remains out, long-term, with a cruciate ligament tear.
Other than that, the situation remains the same.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.