Atlético Madrid will face defending champions Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semifinals. The draw gave the Madrid club the toughest possible opponent, and the two-legged tie promises an exceptionally attractive spectacle.
The first match will take place at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium, where Atlético will host the Catalan side. The return leg is scheduled for early March at Camp Nou, where Barcelona has not lost this season.
The other semifinal pairing features Athletic Club and Real Sociedad, who will play out a Basque derby. The winner of the trophy will be decided in the final at La Cartuja Stadium in Seville on April 18.
Atlético secured its place in the semifinals after a dominant victory over Betis and now has a chance to reach the domestic cup final for the first time since 2013. To achieve that, it must overcome Barcelona, which holds a significantly better record in recent encounters.
The Catalan team has won sixteen of its last seventeen competitive matches and remains strong at home. Atlético will also miss injured midfielder Pablo Barrios, who suffered his injury during the quarterfinal match against Betis.
Despite these challenges, Diego Simeone’s players believe they can finally break their streak of bad luck and succeed in the semifinal stage after two unsuccessful attempts. Fans are expecting an intense two-legged battle full of emotion and football quality.
