The battle for trophies on the Iberian Peninsula intensifies with a showdown at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona. The stakes are high—Barcelona hasn’t played in a final since 2021, when they defeated Athletic Bilbao, while Atletico Madrid hasn’t been in a final since 2013, when they triumphed over their city rivals, Real Madrid.Who will advance to Seville for the final on April 26? This will be decided in a two-legged tie, with the first leg scheduled for tonight at 23.30, and the return leg set for April 2 at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid.🏆 MATCHDAY! 🏆#BarçaAtleti pic.twitter.com/pHaG7hdRAx— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 25, 2025 Barcelona is in superior form, having dominated since the beginning of the year with an impressive run of 11 wins and two draws. Hansi Flick and his team will also have some extra motivation: to avenge their loss to Atletico Madrid in La Liga at home on December 21 (1-2).Flick faces some dilemmas ahead of the match, particularly whether to start Robert Lewandowski or give a chance to the excellent Ferran Torres, who is Barcelona’s top scorer in the Copa del Rey with four goals, alongside Atletico’s Julian Alvarez, Las Palmas’ Jaime Mata, and Almería’s Luis Suarez. Though not a starter, Torres has been impactful, scoring 11 goals and providing three assists in 27 appearances.Lamine Yamal is not for sale!German’s other concern is the injury to Lamine Yamal, which he sustained in the Las Palmas match, but he is expected to be ready for the game. Barca’s coach will need to decide whether to risk starting him or hold him back.Hansi Flick is optimistic Lamine Yamal will be fit to face Atlético Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal Tuesday.Yamal posted a picture of his bloodied foot on social media after Barcelona’s 2-0 win vs. Las Palmas and sat out of training on Monday. pic.twitter.com/C8KVE1eZJO— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 24, 2025 “We have to wait and see. I think he’ll be able to play. I’m positive, but we need to wait for the doctors’ assessment. As for Dani Olmo, I think he could start, but we need to be cautious with him. His goal against Las Palmas was very important,” Flick said.Yamal’s injury against Las Palmas was severe, with the player showing a bloodied sock after the match. The 60-year-old strategist believes referees should protect players more effectively.”I’m not saying Lamine or other players should have special protection, it should apply to all. If yellow cards are not issued for rough play, these hard fouls will continue. We should protect them, that’s the most reasonable thing to do. Everyone in Spain loves to see one-on-one situations and players who can get past defenders, but they also need protection,” Flick remarked. He also praised his own team’s progress, particularly after their loss to Atletico Madrid, where they learned valuable lessons about playing quality football.Showing the love for birthday boy, Hansi Flick! 😍 pic.twitter.com/n6ioxOk55F— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 24, 2025 Since that defeat, Barcelona has shown significant improvement, creating more goal-scoring opportunities and focusing on getting the right results, regardless of the opponent.”I don’t care who we play against because that’s the way to success. You can never aim for a draw, especially now in the cup. We play at home first, in front of our fans—we’ll need them”.Injuries have affected both teams: Barcelona will be without goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Marc Bernal, while defender Andreas Christensen has recovered. Atletico Madrid will be missing Koke and Cesar Azpilicueta, with the status of Clement Lenglet still uncertain.Diego Simeone when asked if Atlético Madrid are bringing a bus to play against Barcelona 😂He said earlier this month ahead of the Madrid derby that Atleti were bringing a bus to the Bernabéu 😅 pic.twitter.com/cs2YcjPlEn— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 24, 2025 Atletico Madrid’s manager, Diego Simeone, praised his counterpart, ahead of the match:”I think the strength of Barcelona lies in their coach. He has the ability to convince players of his vision. His arrival has brought a lot of good to Barcelona. As for us, we know how we want to play. I really like how they play, with a strong defense and a high defensive line. When you play against big teams, there are moments when you’re not in good form, and you need to prepare to suffer. There will be good and bad moments, just like in the match against Real Madrid,” Simeone warned.The winner of this tie will face the victor of the Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad clash.COPPA DEL REY – SEMI-FINALSTuesday 23.30: (1.75) Barcelona (3.90) Atl.Madrid (5.10)Wednesday 23.30: (4.10) Sociedad (3.75) Real Madrid (1.85)***odds are subject to change***
