Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona lineups: Starting XIs, confirmed team news, injury latest for Copa del Rey today

Evening Standard

·2 April 2025

Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona lineups: Starting XIs, confirmed team news, injury latest for Copa del Rey today

Raphinha returns for Barca while Diego Simeone makes several huge selection decisions

Barcelona have recalled star man Raphinha for their huge Copa del Rey semi-final decider away at Atletico Madrid.

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In-form winger Raphinha remained an unused substitute for Sunday’s 4-1 win over Girona in LaLiga, having also missed the rescheduled victory against Osasuna last week as he travelled back from international duty with Brazil.

Despite that, Barca boss Hansi Flick has said the former Leeds star is “absolutely” ready to face Atletico at the Metropolitano Stadium.

The two-legged last-four tie is finely poised at 4-4 after an eight-goal thriller in Catalonia back in February that saw Barcelona score four unanswered goals after conceding twice in the first six minutes before letting in two more late on.

Dani Olmo, though, suffered a groin injury after scoring an early penalty against Osasuna and was later ruled out for approximately three weeks, much to Barcelona’s dismay amid a packed fixture schedule.

Teenage centre-back Pau Cubarsi is also fit to face Atletico having not been needed in the win over Osasuna and come on as a late substitute against Girona.

Dominant Barcelona - who have still yet to lose at all in 2025 - remain without Andreas Christensen, Marc Bernal and Marc Casado as well as goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who is in line to return at some point over the coming weeks having resumed light training following seven months out with a serious knee injury. Wojciech Szczesny will remain Flick’s No1 for now.

Barcelona XI: Szczesny; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Balde; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Fermin, Raphinha; Ferran

Subs: Iñaki Peña, Kochen, R. Araujo, Eric, H. Fort, Gerard Martín, Gavi, Pablo Torre, Lewandowski, Ansu Fati, Pau Víctor

As for Atletico Madrid, first-choice goalkeeper Jan Oblak once again makes way for deputy Juan Musso in the Copa del Rey.

Simeone has plenty of decisions to make elsewhere after a damaging winless run that has seen them fall nine points behind Barcelona - to whom they lost 4-2 at home on March 16 despite being 2-0 up with only 20 minutes to play - in what had been a fierce three-way LaLiga title race, sitting third after a 1-1 draw with Espanyol and six points adrift of Real Madrid, who beat them on penalties in controversial fashion in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Veteran defender Cesar Azpilicueta is now back fit and scored a sublime volley at the weekend. The former Chelsea stalwart starts in a back dour alongside Reinildo and Jose Gimenez.

Robin Le Normand, who was replaced at half-time on Saturday following another head knock, is passed fit to start as Clement Lenglet, who is on loan from Barcelona but can play against his parent club is on the bench.

Long-serving captain Koke has declared himself 100 per cent fit after a muscle injury that has kept him out since mid-February, but he too has to settle for a place on the bench.

Atletico Madrid XI: Musso, Azpilicueta, Giménez, Le Normand, Reinildo, Barrios, De Paul, Llorente, Giuliano, Griezmann, Julián Alvarez.