It was a thrilling 4-4 draw in the first leg between Atletico and Barcelona, but all will be decided now. Both sides have become quite familiar in recent weeks, so there will be no secrets between them and no love lost. Whoever wins here will go through to the final and a chance of a trophy is more than alluring enough.
Atletico Madrid Team News
Atletico certainly did everything they could in the first game to have a fighting chance in the second leg. But the reality is that recent games for Diego Simeone’s team haven’t turned up as they would have liked. Following the 4-4 draw, Atletico have managed to win in just 2 of their subsequent 6 fixtures – a narrow 1-0 win over Bilbao and a 1-0 win in the UCL over Real Madrid, which sent the tie to extra time. Both of those victories came at home. Diego Simeone will surely have some criticism for his team’s defensive performances, as they have been a far cry from the established Atletico standard. Colchoneros have kept just 2 clean sheets following the first leg with Barcelona, but have managed to score in every game since then.
Barcelona Team News
Barcelona come to the Metropolitano Stadium as a slight favourite to win the game, mainly due to the team’s fantastic form and results. Since the first-leg clash with Atletico, Blaugrana have gone on a 6-game winning streak across all competitions, scoring a whooping 19 goals in the process while conceding just 4. Mind you, half of those conceded goals came exactly against Atletico Madrid in a La Liga game that ended 2-4 for Barcelona. What could be detrimental for Blaugrana is the fact that, unlike Atletico, they are still battling on 3 fronts, and fixture congestion might play an important role here. Nevertheless, the chance to reach a first Copa del Rey final since the 2020/21 season should be more than motivating enough for Barca.
Head-to-Head-Games
Atletico have struggled in recent match-ups against Barcelona, as evident by the team winning just 1 game in the last 5 against Blaugrana. All of the last 4 H2H encounters have produced over 2.5 goals, with the last 3 also seeing goals from both sides.
Atletico Madrid – Barcelona Betting Prediction
It is all to play for here between Atletico and Barcelona. Both sides have played one another frequently over the past few months, so there shouldn’t be any secrets or surprises between them.
For Atletico, this is the most realistic chance for silverware this season, as they are out of the UCL and are 9 points off the La Liga top. Copa del Rey represents the best chance that Diego Simeone’s team will have. In Barcelona’s case, things might stand a bit differently as they are still fighting on 3 fronts and fatigue, coupled with fixture congestion, might force them to sacrifice one tournament. But the proposition of a first Copa del Rey final for them since 2020/21 is something that will motivate them even further.
Thus, I expect this to be an exciting game with goals. More specifically, over 2.5 goals and I also expect both teams to find the net as well.
Betting Tip: Over 2.5 Goals & Both Teams To Score: Yes
Bookmaker: Sportsbet.io
Odds: 1.71
Sportsbet.io
Place your bet on Atletico Madrid – Barcelona at Sportsbet.io