Barcelona will go up against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg at home. This is a two-legged tie and can go either way, here is what to expect in the first leg of this thriller.
The Stakes of This Game
This is a semi-final tie and Barcelona should prevail in this towards their second silverware of the season. The last time Barcelona won the Copa del Rey was in 2021, with the great aim of treble this season Barcelona need to book their spot in the final.
The draw indicated that Barcelona will play the first leg at home, I think Barcelona should kill the game in the first leg as Wanda Metropolitano’s atmosphere could be a big threat for us. Barcelona should start the game with the upper hand, the last time Barcelona played Atletico at home the Catalans lost the game despite being the better team.
Lamine Yamal Blow
The bad news Barcelona fans had to hear is the absence of Lamine Yamal in the usual work session with his teammates at the Tito Vilanova Field. The young winger received a stomp in the last game and himself shared this picture, his starting is still a doubt.
Expected Lineups
FC Barcelona predicted lineup vs Rayo Vallecano (4-2-3-1): Szczęsny; Balde, Cubarsí, Martínez, Koundé; Pedri, De Jong; Raphinha, Olmo, Yamal/Ferran; Lewandowski Credits: 90min.com
Atletico Madrid predicted lineup vs Barcelona (4-4-2): Musso; Molina, Gimenez, Le Normand, Galan; Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Lino; Griezmann, Alvarez Credits: 90min.com
What to Expect?
In my opinion, this will be a difficult game for Barcelona as Atletico will be playing a safe game on the back foot. Atletico will be looking for a draw and will wait for Barcelona for the second leg. I still believe Barcelona will win the game with a score of 2-1.