Atlético Madrid vs Barcelona

The second leg of this all-Spanish quarter-final at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano finds Atlético Madrid in a strong position following their stunning 2–0 victory at the Spotify Camp Nou. The primary challenge for Diego Simeone’s side is to withstand the inevitable early onslaught from a wounded Barcelona team that must score at least twice to keep their European season alive. The objective for "Los Colchoneros" is to maintain their trademark defensive compactness while using the electric home atmosphere to catch the visitors on the break. Strategically, the goal for Barcelona and Hansi Flick is to find a way through the low block that stifled Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal in the first leg. The tactical focus for Atlético will be on the midfield engine room, where Koke and Johnny Cardoso aim to disrupt Barcelona’s build-up play. With a place in the semi-finals against Arsenal on the line, the ultimate goal for Atlético is to protect their aggregate lead and reach the final four for the first time since 2017.