Just three
days after meeting in La Liga, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid will face off
again, but this time in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Wednesday’s
clash will be the fifth European meeting between the Spanish rivals, with each
of the previous four also coming in the Champions League quarter-finals
(two-legged ties in 2013-14 and 2015-16).
Head-to-Head
The two
clubs have faced each other on 250 occasions. Barcelona have won 115 of those
games, Atletico have won 78 and 57 ended as draws.
Barcelona’s team news
Raphinha,
Marc Bernal, Frenkie de Jong and Andreas Christensen are all unavailable due to
injury.
However,
Ronald Araujo has been deemed fit to play despite being forced off against
Atletico over the weekend.
Predicted
starting XI:
Joan Garcia (goalkeeper); Kounde, Cubarsi, Martin, Cancelo; Eric Garcia, Pedri; Yamal, Fermin, Rashford; Lewandowski
Atletico’s team news
Pablo
Barrios remains unavailable due to a thigh issue, and Jose Gimenez and Johnny
Cardoso are major doubts as they struggle to recover from injuries.
Marc Pubil,
Jan Oblak and Rodrigo Mendoza are back in training after injuries and could
feature.
Predicted
starting XI:
Oblak
(goalkeeper); Llorente, Le Normand, Hancko, Ruggeri; Koke, Baena; Simeone,
Griezmann, Lookman; Alvarez
How did Barcelona reach the quarterfinals?
Barcelona
stormed into the quarterfinals with a thumping 7-2 victory over Newcastle
United at Camp Nou on March 18, sealing an emphatic 8-3 aggregate triumph.
Raphinha opened the scoring for Barcelona in the sixth minute after Fermin Lopez led a swift counterattack, ?but Anthony Elanga levelled nine minutes later from Lewis Hall’s cross. Marc Bernal restored Barca’s lead from a Raphinha free kick before Elanga struck again in the 28th minute after Lamine Yamal failed to clear.
Yamal made
amends by converting a spot kick deep into first-half added time after VAR
spotted Kieran Trippier’s foul on Raphinha inside the box, and Barca came
storming back from the break to score four goals in the second half through
Fermin, a brace from Robert Lewandowski and another Raphinha strike.
How did Atletico Madrid reach the quarterfinals?
Atletico
Madrid withstood a rousing Tottenham Hotspur fightback to advance 7-5 on
aggregate despite a 3-2 second-leg loss in North London.
Simeone’s
side, who scored four times in the opening 22 minutes in the 5-2 first-leg home
romp, wobbled under a home onslaught, but goals by Julian Alvarez and David
Hancko ?ultimately gave them breathing space.
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