Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona prediction, where to watch, livestream: Copa del Rey semifinals, odds, lineups

Atletico Madrid will host Barcelona on Wednesday in what is expected to be a competitive conclusion to the Copa del Rey semifinals, especially after a dramatic first leg in February that ended in a 4-4 draw.

Both teams will be aiming for a spot in the final later this month, where they will face Real Madrid. The competition presents Atletico with perhaps their only realistic chance at winning a title this season, despite impressing at different periods of the campaign. They were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Real Madrid in the round of 16 and appear to be out of the race to win La Liga, currently sitting nine points behind first-place Barcelona.

As for the visitors, Wednesday’s match marks the latest stop during a frenetic period. Barcelona are two games into a 29 day stretch in which they will play nine games total, which has gone well so far with two wins. They faced opponents that would be hard-pressed to pose a real challenge, though, which is not a problem Atletico will necessarily have. This game – and this whole run, which includes the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals against Borussia Dortmund – will offer a major test of Barcelona’s title-winning mettle, especially during a season in which they have arguably been in cruise control at times.

Here’s what you need to know before tuning in.

How to watch Atletico vs. Barcelona, odds

Date: Wednesday, April 2 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Metropolitano Stadium — Madrid, Spain
Live stream: ESPN+
Odds: Atletico Madrid +188; Draw +275; Barcelona +135

Last meeting

These two actually faced each other in league play last month when Barcelona came from behind to win 4-2 at Atletico Madrid. Diego Simeone’s side had a 2-0 lead by the 70th minute thanks to goals from Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth, but Barcelona’s late surge undid the damage to notch a crucial win in La Liga’s title race. Robert Lewandowski clawed one back just two minutes after Sorloth scored, while Ferran Torres made it 2-2 by the 78th minute. A stoppage-time goal from Lamine Yamal sealed the deal, while Torres added another for good measure.

What Atletico Madrid are saying

The feeling that this is a make-or-break moment for Atletico has set in, especially so after the Champions League defeat and their inability to keep pace in La Liga’s title race. Manager Diego Simeone, though, is adamant that this season is not a failure, regardless of what happens on Wednesday.

“Failure is not trying. If you don’t try, you fail,” Simeone said in his pre-match remarks on Tuesday. “For me, the season has been very good. We did very well in the Champions League, we competed in the league, in the semifinals of the cup. … The fate of each match will determine whether it is a very good season, an extraordinary season or just an average season.”

The hope of capping off a strong season with a piece of silverware, then, serves as added motivation for Atletico. While Simeone hopes his side sticks to their well-defined tactical principles, he also admitted that a sense of optimism will be key to get across the finish line on Wednesday.

“Against Barcelona, we have to play with joy, with hope, playing the same way we did in the first round,” he said. “It is clear that in this sense I will not change.”

What Barcelona are saying

Hansi Flick’s impressive turnaround of cash-strapped Barcelona faces perhaps its biggest test against Atletico, especially as the push to win trophies becomes very real in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey. Flick used his pre-match press conference on Tuesday as a chance to not overplay his side’s chances – or the fact that major titles are on their way to Barcelona.

“We know that until now we have not reached [anything] – OK, we won the [Spanish] Supercopa, but it’s in the past – and now we want to go to the final, but it’s not easy,” Flick said, per ESPN. “Maybe it’s the nearest title they can win, but [it’s] the same for us. One win and then in a final. Whereas in LaLiga there are a lot of matches to play.”

Flick was also unwilling to brush Atletico aside, complimenting Simeone’s style of play while his counterpart did the same in his pre-match remarks.

“Atletico have a great coach with [Diego] Simeone, an experienced squad, they know how they want to play,” Flick added. “You can see in the matches before until the last second they are there. It will be a difficult match. … Atletico will play like they normally play, nothing different. They have their style. The intensity is always high, aggressive. This is normal. I love how they play football, also with a lot of speed in their game. I love their style, how they play.”

Predicted lineups

Atletico Madrid: Juan Musso, Marcos Llorente, Robin Le Normand, Clement Lenglet, Cesar Azpilicueta, Giuliano Simeone, Conor Gallagher, Pablo Barrios, Samuel Lino, Alexander Sorloth, Julian Alvarez

Barcelona: Wojciech Szczesny, Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Alejandro Balde, Eric García, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski

Player to watch

Lamine Yamal, Barcelona: A match tie as competitive as this one could come down to one decision-maker, and both sides have a handful of players who could do that. If there’s one player to pick out of the bunch, though, it’s Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal.

The 17-year-old has adjusted to the highest levels of the professional game seamlessly and is now up to 13 goals and 16 assists across all competitions this season. He’s building a habit of doing it in the biggest games, too – since New Year’s Day, he has one goal against Real Madrid and a goal and an assist against Atletico. He will have plenty of helping hands, including an in-form Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, who should be available for Barcelona on Wednesday. He’s quickly becoming the star of the show for Flick’s side, though, and there will be no better time to demonstrate just that than in an all-important semifinal.

Storyline to watch

Barcelona’s trophy hunt: Hopes may not have been high for Barcelona after another chaotic offseason but with the final weeks of the season approaching, they feel like real contenders in La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League. It’s up to them to not come up empty-handed and Wednesday’s semifinal offers a first real glimpse at their ability to cross the finish line.

This is not necessarily a make-or-break moment for Barcelona, who are still the favorites to win La Liga and have rediscovered an incredible amount of optimism after some chaotic years. They still feel likely to win La Liga at the very least but are also the favorites in their Champions League tie against Borussia Dortmund this month, thanks to a resurgent season from a handful of different players. The best-case scenario, win or lose, is that they do not feel like they squandered the opportunity in front of them on Wednesday. If they let the win slip, though, questions about their ability to lift other trophies could creep in at a very vital point in the season.

Prediction

Expect another competitive game, but one that will slightly favor Barcelona. The visitors have enough in them to come out on top against a talented Atletico side, especially as a batch of players return to fitness at just the right time. Pick: Atletico Madrid 2, Barcelona 3

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