Atletico Madrid (Home)
- Atletico Madrid have won three of their last five (D1, L1).
- They beat Real Betis 5-0 in the previous round of the Copa del Rey.
- The long-serving Atletico boss is a master of pragmatic, defensive soccer and can always be relied on to organise his men with solid structure and quick counter-attacks.
Barcelona (Away)
- Barcelona have won four of their last five games in all competitions, scoring freely and playing with confidence.
- Barca boss Hansi Flick is having just as much success with his blueprint of high-pressing, possession-based football, which incorporates fluid rotations and plenty of tempo.
Head-to-Head
- Barcelona have won three of the sides’ last five encounters in LaLiga and the Copa del Rey.
- That run includes a 3 - 1 league victory in December 2025.
Key Players
- Barcelona
- Robert Lewandowski has been lethal again against Mallorca and his movement is key to unlocking Atlético Madrid’s centre-backs, who will need to stay disciplined.
- Lamine Yamal is also in electric form for Barcelona, having scored and assisted in their 3-0 win over Mallorca and was the stand-out player.
- Ferran Torres adds another dimension to the Barcelona attack.
- Atletico Madrid
- Julián Álvarez has brought mobility and an eye for a killer pass to the Atlético attack, contributing key goals and assists in recent fixtures.
- Alexander Sørloth is Atlético's top scorer with seven LaLiga goals and is a target man in transition.
- Antoine Griezmann and Marcos Llorente are the team’s key creators.
Betting Insights
- Barcelona are 2.28 favorites for the first-leg win.
- Atletico Madrid are priced at 2.74.
- A 1-1 draw is available at 3.8.
- The Over 2.5 goals market is priced at 1.42.
Prediction
- This first-leg Copa del Rey semi-final pits the defending champions Barcelona against an Atletico Madrid side that haven't been to the final since 2013.
- The winner of the tie will earn a trip to La Cartuja for a chance to win the Copa del Rey.
- Barca arrive in better form and have the recent edge, but Simeone’s side are well drilled and their home advantage and defensive grit should make this a close, tactical match.
- We see Barcelona as slight favorites to take a narrow advantage into the second leg.
