Atletico Madrid are set for a huge Champions League night as they host Barcelona at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Tuesday for the second leg of their quarter-final clash.
Diego Simeone’s side holds a two-goal advantage from the first leg and will aim to repeat their famous knockout victories over Barcelona from the 2013/14 and 2015/16 campaigns.
Atletico come into this game with uneven form — strong in Europe but shaky in La Liga. They earned a crucial 2-0 win at the Spotify Camp Nou last week but then suffered a 2-1 defeat to Sevilla, marking their third straight league loss.
Atletico Madrid team news
Simeone now faces the challenge of balancing fatigue and form. He rotated heavily against Sevilla to keep his key players fresh for this decisive tie. The good news for Atletico is that Jan Oblak and Johnny Cardoso have returned to full training and are both expected to start.
However, defensive concerns remain, with David Hancko, Jose Gimenez, and Pablo Barrios all facing late fitness tests. Marc Pubill is also unavailable due to suspension.
Simeone is expected to stick with his familiar 4-4-2 setup, likely pairing Antoine Griezmann and Julian Alvarez in attack.
In midfield, Koke, along with Cardoso or Marcos Llorente will be key to disrupting Barcelona’s rhythm and controlling the tempo.
Atletico Madrid predicted lineup
Possible Atletico Madrid starting XI: Oblak; Molina, Lenglet, Le Normand, Ruggeri; Simeone, Cardoso, Koke, Lookman; Griezmann, Alvarez
When will the match kick off?
The match will kick off at 8pm BST on Tuesday, 14th April.
How to watch Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona?
Fans in the UK can watch the match live on TNT Sports 1, or stream it via HBO Max, which carries TNT Sports for subscribers.
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