Atletico Madrid VS Barcelona: Estadio Metropolitano, Madrid
Atletico Madrid VS Barcelona Date: Wednesday, April 2
BetXchange Atletico Madrid VS Barcelona Odds:
History
The second semifinal of the 202425 Copa Del Rey sees two of La Liga’s perennial title challengers meet to face either Real Madrid or Real Soceidad in the final on Saturday, April 26.
The second leg of this tie will be held in Madrid after a completely bonkers first leg was played out on February 25th at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona.
Julain Alvarez scored for the visitors inside of a minute, Antione Griezmann doubled their lead after just six minutes, and Atleti looked to be on course to build a significant lead heading into the second leg.
Instead, Barca came roaring back. Four goals from four players, including a 74th-minute strike from Robert Lewandowski, put the Catalan giants in an outstanding position after a remarkable comeback. All they had to do was see out the game to carry a comfortable tow-gaol lead into the Spanish capital.
Then they fell apart.
A Marcos Llotente goal made it 4-3 with six minutes remaining before Alexander Sorlth stunned the home crowd with an equalizer three minutes into stoppage time.
It was a game for the ages, but with no away goals rule in the competition anymore, the game could have finished 0-0, and we would be in this exact situation heading into the second match.
The month-long break between leg one and leg two of this tie is also worth noting. Typically, teo-legged ties are played over a short period. This one has seen the Champions League Round of 16, an entire international window with two games per country, and three La Liga matches between the fixtures.
One of those La Liga matches was even between Barca and Atletico, with Barca winning 4-2 at this venue on March 16.
Atletico Madrid
This game means more to Atleti than it does to Barca. La Liga is gone, Los Rojiblancos are out of the Champions League, and the Copa Del Rey has become their last chance for silverware in what was once a season brimming with promise.
Expect backup keeper Juan Musso to keep his starting spot in the Copa Del Ray despite the four he conceded last time out. Rodrigo De Paul will be a vital figure in the heart of Atletico’s midfield, while you should watch out for Koke to make his comeback from an injury sustained in mid-February.
Barcelona
This is a Barca team in scary form. They have gone 20 games unbeaten in all competitions, winning 17 of those matches. The last team to turn Barca over was this Atletico Madrid squad, which was back before Christmas.
Barca cannot stop scoring. They have scored 139 goals in 45 games this season across all competitions, a rate that not even the best Lionel Messi teams could manage. It is an astonishing season.
Best Bets
This season, the average score between these two is a ridiculous 9-8 in favor of Barcelona after three games played. Atletico Madrid has also failed to get past Barca in the Copa Del Rey since a semifinal win in 2000.
Expect goals, and expect a Barca win. Total goals over 3.5 at 37/27 is worth a look, as is Barca to win and both teams to score.
