Spanish football titans Atletico and Barcelona will lock horns on Thursday in Madrid with nothing less than a place in the Copa del Rey final on the line.

The match is the opening semifinal leg of the competition. The return leg will be played at Barcelona’s Nou Camp Stadium on March 4.

Who are the defending Copa champions?

Barcelona are the reigning champions after they won the 2025 final 3-2 against Real Madrid for a record-extending 32nd Copa del Rey title.

The match was played on April 26 at La Cartuja Stadium in Seville.

There has been no repeat Copa champion since Barcelona won it four years straight from 2015 to 2018.

When did Barcelona and Atletico last meet?

The teams last played in a La Liga fixture on December 2 with Atletico – arriving at Camp Nou on a seven-game winning run in all competitions – striking first when Spanish international Alex Baena put the visitors up inside 20 minutes.

But Barcelona rallied strongly with goals by Raphinha, Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres, handing Madrid their first La Liga defeat in more than three months with a resounding 3-1 result.

How did Atletico and Barcelona reach the semifinals?

Atletico Madrid advanced to the last four of the Copa del Rey with an emphatic 5-0 win at Real Betis as new signing Ademola Lookman scored on his Rojiblanco debut.

Goals by Lamine Yamal and Ronald Araujo helped Barcelona reach the semifinal with a nervy 2-1 win at Albacete. The defending champions were pushed to the end in a tight quarterfinal clash by their second division opponents, who stunned Real Madrid in the previous round.

Head-to-head

Barcelona and Atletico have faced off 249 times in official competition with the first match dating back to April 19, 1925, in the Copa del Rey.

Blaugrana holds the head-to-head advantage with 113 victories compared with Madrid’s 79 wins with 57 draws.

Atletico’s team news

Manager Diego Simeone may be without duo Marc Pubill (illness) and Nicolas Gonzalez (physical discomfort). Both are listed as questionable, and either could still play a part against Barca.

Johnny Cardoso is out after the American sustained a low-grade muscle injury training before Thursday’s Copa del Rey quarterfinal against Real Betis.

Midfielder Pablo Barrios remains on the sidelines with a thigh injury.

Predicted lineup (4-4-2):

Oblak (goalkeeper); Llorente, Pubill, Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone, Mendoza, Koke, Baena; Griezmann, Lookman

Barcelona’s team news

In a last-minute blow, Marcus Rashford is out of the Atletico clash after receiving a knee knock during Barcelona’s 3-0 win over Real Mallorca on Saturday, according to the official FC Barcelona website.

Head coach Hansi Flick could also be without Frenkie de Jong (groin), who is listed as doubtful. Teenager Marc Bernal would be the most likely replacement for the Dutchman in the central midfield role.

Brazilian superstar Raphinha (thigh injury) is close to a return but will miss this fixture. Pedri (hamstring) and Gavi (knee) continue to be sidelined with longer-term injuries.

Predicted lineup (4-3-3):

J Garcia (goalkeeper); Kounde, Cubarsi, E Garcia, Balde; Olmo, Bernal, Lopez; Yamal, Lewandowski, Torres

Form Guide:

Atletico Madrid: W-L-D-W-L (all competitions, most recent result last)

Barcelona: W-W-W-W-W

Which team has won the most Copa del Rey titles?

Barcelona: 32
Athletic Bilbao: 24
Real Madrid: 20
Atletico Madrid: 10
Valencia: eight

Is the Copa del Rey the oldest Spanish competition?

Yes. Founded in 1903 and organised by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the Copa del Rey is the oldest Spanish football competition played at a national level.

The Copa del Rey winners qualify for the next season’s UEFA Europa League. If the winner has already qualified for Europe through their La Liga ladder position, the Europa League spot is awarded to the next highest placed team that has not yet qualified. (Alazeera)

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