Key occasions
First-half kick-off!
Vamos!
A second to honour the reminiscence of Mircea Lucescu.
I hereby designate Dani Olmo, enjoying in the midst of a ahead three behind Lewandowski and with tempo both aspect, within the “schemer” position.
Marcus Rashford seems from the tunnel, and raises each arms to the heavens.
It looks like there’s a particular power to this tie already.
We are actually lower than 5 minutes away from kick-off!
The environment within the stadium seems sensational. FC Barcelona flags are held aloft all over the place. The gamers are assembled within the tunnel.
Vamos!
Rob Smyth has Paris Saint-Germain v disaster membership Liverpool over on Channel 1:
“What he’s done for that club is absolutely astronomical,” Cole says of Griezmann, quickly to depart Atletico for Orlando City FC. There’s a good Nasa hyperlink in there someplace.
“I don’t think Atlético will do a smash and grab etc.,” opines Tim on electronic mail.
“They are an excellent team on the break and will outplay Barca in my opinion for significant stretches.”
Was it actually May 2024 when Lookman banged in that hat-trick for Atalanta within the Europa League closing v Leverkusen?
You guess it was:
Lookman signed for the Spanish club in February, a chunk of switch information that had hitherto escaped me.
Luis Garcia is on obligation within the stadium, evoking these days when it appeared like Chelsea and Liverpool performed one another each three minutes.
Atlético and Barça will play thrice within the house of 9 days, beginning with the match on Saturday, when Lewandowski gained it. This is their fifth assembly of the present season, besides.
“Diego Simeone has never won at Camp Nou,” says Karen Carney, alongside Cole on pundit obligation. And there you may have it. No time like the current, that’s what I say.
“It’s beauty and the beast,” says Joe Cole on TNT Sports of the competition that awaits. We know what Atlético are going to do tonight, they’ll “bank in”, make it nasty, they’ll be aggressive, and there’ll be all types of shenenigans occurring.”
Alvarez, main the road for the guests, has scored 14 objectives in his final 17 Champions League matches. #Prolific
“A smash and grab would be great,” emails Andres. “But look up Simeone’s record at Barcelona.”
Would you thoughts doing it? Much appreciated.
I’d additionally take a glowing attacking masterclass from Flick’s aspect as properly after all. I’m fairly versatile on the problem.
Barça could also be favourites and deservedly so however personally I’d wish to see a traditional European smash-and-grab by Simeone’s aspect tonight, with a wholesome dose of naughty defending and shithousery within the combine.
Araujo caught in one hell of a reducer on Phil Foden the opposite week at Wembley throughout England 1-1 Uruguay. I noticed it with my very own eyes and it was essentially the most violent sort out in a top-level recreation I’ve seen for a very good whereas.
Teams
Lewandowski got here off the bench on Saturday to attain the winner however begins tonight, with fit-again Jules Kounde the opposite change. Raphinha is out with a hamstring damage and can miss the second leg, too. Ronald Araujo limped out of the La Liga match on Saturday however is on the bench tonight.
Marcos Llorente is considered one of 5 adjustments to Simeone’s Atlético group from the weekend: David Hancko, Matteo Ruggeri, Ademola Lookman and Julian Alvarez are the others.
Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Joan Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsi, Gerard, Joao Cancelo; Eric Garcia, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Rashford; Lewandowski. Substitutes: Szczesny, Kochen, Balde, Araujo, Gavi, Torres, Lopez, Casado, Bardghji, Cortes, Espart, Marques.
Atlético Madrid (4-4-2): Musso; Molina, Le Normand, Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone, Llorente, Koke, Lookman; Griezmann, Alvarez. Substitutes: Esquivel, de Luis, Mendoza, Sorloth, Baena, Almada, Lenglet, Pubill, Vargas, Gonzalez, Diaz.
Referee: Istvan Kovacs (Romania)
And how good is the climate, by the best way? Answer: very. With one other seemingly interminable league part (and winter) out the best way we will now take pleasure in some first rate knockout ties. Sunshine + significant Champions League encounters (past the latest spherical of 16): it’s a heady combine.
Team information might be developing quickly, in the meantime, why not ship me an email?
Preamble
How good are Barcelona, actually? How good is Robert Lewandowski when push involves shove? And how good are Atlético practically 15 years into the reign of the sharp-suited Diego Simeone?
There are some latest clues. The seasoned Poland striker Lewandowski had the final phrase in La Liga on Saturday, his 87th-minute winner added to Marcus Rashford’s opener giving Barça a 2-1 comeback win away from dwelling.
Hansi Flick’s aspect are closing in on the league title, main second-placed Real Madrid by seven factors, with a 19-point chasm separating Barcelona and tonight’s opponents.
And but. In February Diego Simeone’s aspect thrashed Barcelona 4-0 within the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final. “This will remain in the memory however the tie ends,” Simeone stated that night time. They progressed, regardless of shedding 3-0 the next week.
History can also be on Atlético’s aspect: these two confronted one another within the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2013/14 and 2015/16, and Simeone’s aspect prevailed on each events, their solely earlier conferences within the competitors.
More lately the final 9 encounters have produced 35 objectives between them, and there might be a humiliation of attacking riches on present this night. “We are ready to compete and we believe we can hurt them,” stated Simeone. This might be fairly good …
Kick-off: 8pm UK time.
