Barcelona XI vs. Atletico Madrid: Rashford’s Time to Shine—Injury News, Predicted Lineup
-06ad2d29b37d2cca1a44008a56289260.png "Roberto Casillas")
Barcelona are on a mission to make consecutive Copa del Rey finals for the first time this decade, but to do that, they must overcome the dangerous Atlético Madrid in the semifinal, with the away first leg kicking off the tie on Thursday night.
The start of 2026 has been nearly perfect for Barcelona, who’ve won 10 of their 11 games since the turn of the year. Hansi Flick’s side cruised to a 3–0 win against Mallorca last time out and its attention now turns to continuing their charge towards a record 33rd Copa del Rey title.
But Atlético Madrid in front poses a serious threat. Although Diego Simeone’s men have been far from stellar this term, they have the quality to challenge Barcelona as they’ve done in the past when they enter the matchup as underdogs.
Going on the road to open up the semifinal tie, Barcelona must be near-flawless to return to Catalonia with a positive result.
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Match Snapshot
- 🕒 Kick-off time: 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT / 8:00 p.m. GMT
- 📍 Location: Riyadh Air Metropolitano
- 🏆 Competition: Copa del Rey
- 📊 Recent form: WWWWW
Team News
- ⚠️ Key injuries, absentees, doubts: Pedri, Gavi, Andreas Christensen, Raphinha
- 🔢 Predicted formation: 4-3-3
Raphinha is entering the final days of his recovery from an adductor strain, but the Brazilian is still training separately from the team and faces a late fitness test to determine his status for Thursday’s clash.
If the winger isn’t ready in time, he’ll join Pedri, Gavi and Andreas Christensen as the injury casualties Flick will have to work around. Even if Raphinha does recover, then it’s likely he’s only able to feature off the bench.
With Pedri out injured, Flick has utilized both of his natural attacking midfielders, Dani Olmo and Fermín López, from the start in recent games. As a result, the German has tweaked his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, converting it to a 4-3-3 with Frenkie de Jong anchoring the midfield and López and Olmo operating in the half spaces on either side of the Dutchman.
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Atlético Madrid (4-3-3)
GK: Joan García—Wojciech Szczęsny kept a clean sheet the last time Barcelona visited the Metropolitano in last year’s semifinal. It’ll now be up to García to replicate that effort.
RB: Jules Koundé—If Koundé’s recent lackluster defensive showings continue on Thursday, then he could be targeted all night by Atléti’s attack, prompting João Cancelo to enter the fold earlier than anticipated.
CB: Pau Cubarsí—Cubarsí will have to be sharp against Ademola Lookman and Julián Álvarez, but the teenager will arrive at the clash confident after a mature performance at the weekend.
CB: Eric García—García has been near flawless all season and will lead the backline, with the freedom to drift forward to start possessions in a wrinkle that’s become key for Barça to bypass the press.
LB: Alejandro Balde—Back in December, Balde completely nullified Guiliano Simeone in one of his best performances of the season and he’ll be eager to do it again.
CM: Fermin López—The La Masia graduate has been kept relatively quiet in recent games but he remains an energetic and menacing presence in Barça’s midfield. He’ll operate between the lines with freedom to roam in Barça’s fluid midfield.
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CM: Frenkie de Jong—After getting the day off last time out, De Jong will return to anchor Barcelona’s midfield, looking to continue his sensational start of 2026 where he’s become a dominant force.
CM: Dani Olmo—Olmo has flourished operating at different heights of the pitch ever since Pedri’s injury. His ability to operate in congested areas remains solid, but his quality as a deep-lying playmaker has stood out in recent outings.
RW: Lamine Yamal—Yamal had two assists in last year’s semifinal vs. Atléti and has never lost in his career against Simeone’s side. He’s recently found a new level as well, and will be eager to make it six straight games finding the back of the net.
ST: Robert Lewandowski—The veteran Pole had an encouraging performance at the weekend but now faces the tough challenge of Atléti’s physical center backs. Still, with Ferran Torres in frustrating form, Lewandowski seems poised to lead the line on Thursday night.
LW: Marcus Rashford—Atléti have concentrated their defensive efforts on limiting Yamal’s influence in recent matchups. With Raphinha still not fully fit, Rashford will get the nod attacking the weak side of the hosts’ defense and, after a strong showing on Saturday, it’s the perfect opportunity for the Englishman to prove his worth in a big game.
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