Overview
Barcelona are on a 13-match unbeaten streak in all competitions, including 11 wins. Not only won, coach Hansi Flick's team also showed overwhelming and effective play.
In the above impressive series, Blaugrana have scored 4 or more goals in 7 matches. The attacking line in high form is the launching pad that has helped Barcelona continuously reap success in recent times.
The last team to beat Barcelona was Atletico Madrid. Coach Diego Simeone's team defeated Barcelona away with a score of 2-1 in the final match in 2024. And in the next match, Atletico Madrid will continue to visit Blaugrana.
Atletico Madrid's form is not inferior to Barca at the moment. The Madrid side have lost just one of their last 24 games in all competitions. They have defeated many top European teams such as PSG, Bayer Leverkusen and Barcelona. Atletico Madrid are one of the most in-form teams in Europe at the moment.
With home advantage, Barcelona will definitely want to win. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid could aim for a draw. Therefore, the away team will choose to play proactively defensively and wait for counter-attack opportunities. If the stars of both teams cannot shine, it is likely that the match will end in a draw.
This will be the first meeting between the two teams in the Copa del Rey since the semi-finals of the 2016-17 season, with Barcelona winning 3-2.
Personnel situation
Barcelona are worried about Lamine Yamal, who was injured after the match against Las Palmas. Andreas Christensen could join the squad after recovering from injury, but Marc Bernal and Marc-Andre ter Stegen are still unable to play.
On the other side of the front line, goalkeeper Juan Musso can be trusted in the cup arena. Pablo Barrios is suspended for Valencia, but the midfielder is capable of playing against Barca. Koke is still uncertain to feature due to injury.
Expected lineup:
Barcelona: Szczesny, Kounde, Araujo, I. Martinez, Balde, De Jong, Pedri, Raphinha, Olmo, Yamal, Lewandowski.
Atletico Madrid: Musso, Molina, Gimenez, Le Normand, Galan, Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Lino, Griezmann, Alvarez.
The match between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid takes place at 3:30 am on February 26 (Vietnam time).
