Atlético Madrid host Barcelona on Tuesday 14 April at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid in the second leg of the 2025-26 Champions League quarter-finals, to decide the last semi-final place. The first leg at Camp Nou ended in a 2-0 win for Atlético Madrid, with goals from Alexander Sørloth and Julián Álvarez, in a match that saw defender Pau Cubarsí sent off.
Barcelona need to win by at least two goals to force extra time, or by more to win the tie in normal time, making the task complicated against a team that knows how to manage this type of encounter. Atlético Madrid, meanwhile, are seeking to seal qualification and reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2017, benefiting from the two-goal cushion they built in the first leg.
The numbers are telling in this context. In the previous six European ties in which Barcelona lost the first leg at home, they failed to overturn the result. They have also been eliminated in six of their last nine Champions League quarter-final ties, stats that put the Catalan side before a difficult test at their hosts’ stadium.
In head-to-head meetings, the account is level this year with two wins each, in their fifth meeting since the start of the year, reflecting a clear closeness in level. But the difference today lies in the first-leg result, after Atlético Madrid benefited from Cubarsí’s early red card and defensive errors in Barcelona’s ranks.
On the other hand, Barcelona enter the match as La Liga leaders, after their 2-1 win over Atlético Madrid in the 30th round of the league at the latter’s stadium, with goals from Marcus Rashford and Robert Lewandowski. That gives them a morale boost, but does not change the nature of the European task, which requires a big attacking performance against an organised defence.
The coaches must manage their squads carefully, as several players are on the brink of suspension due to yellow cards. In Atlético Madrid’s ranks, Llorente, Giuliano Simeone, Almada, Baena, Barrios, Lenglet, Le Normand and Romero are among this list, while Barcelona have Casadó, João Cancelo, Fermín López, Gerard Martín and Lamine Yamal in the same situation.
What the match means for Arab and Moroccan fans
All eyes are on this clash to follow stars well known to Arab audiences, foremost among them Lamine Yamal, who was behind most of Barcelona’s danger in the first leg. Moroccan fans will also follow the performance of Moroccan players in both squads, as Atlético Madrid have several in their ranks, while Barcelona continue to monitor Moroccan striker Yassir Zabiri to strengthen their attack.
The match kicks off at 2 pm Colombia time, which is 9 pm Spain time, and will be broadcast on the ESPN network in South America and on the Disney+ platform, with different times across Arab countries. All eyes will be on the stadium for Atlético Madrid’s match to follow both teams’ journey towards the semi-finals.
InfoSport numbers
- 2-0 the first-leg result in favour of Atlético Madrid at Camp Nou.
- 6 European ties in which Barcelona lost the first leg at home and failed to compensate.
- 2-1 Barcelona’s win over Atlético Madrid in the 30th round of La Liga.
Here is a summary of the most important match details, and you can follow the rest of the Champions League coverage on the InfoSport website.
