Key events
Teams
Lewandowski came off the bench on Saturday to score the winner but starts tonight. Marcos Llorente is one of the additions to Simeone’s Atlético squad, full run-down to follow …
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 weather, by the way? Answer: very. With another seemingly interminable league phase (and winter) out the way we can now enjoy some decent knockout ties. Sunshine + meaningful Champions League encounters beyond the recent round of 16: it’s a heady mix.
Team news will be coming up soon, meanwhile, why not send me an email?
Preamble
How good are Barcelona, really? How good is Robert Lewandowski when push comes to shove? And how good are Atlético nearly 15 years into the reign of the sharp-suited Diego Simeone?
There are some recent clues. The seasoned Poland striker Lewandowski had the last word in La Liga on Saturday, his 87th-minute winner added to Marcus Rashford’s opener giving Barça a 2-1 comeback win away from home.
Hansi Flick’s side are closing in on the league title, leading second-placed Real Madrid by seven points, with a 19-point chasm separating Barcelona and tonight’s opponents.
And yet. In February Diego Simeone’s side thrashed Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final. “This will remain in the memory however the tie ends,” Simeone said that night. They progressed, despite losing 3-0 the following week.
History is also on Atlético’s side: these two faced each other in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2013/14 and 2015/16, and Simeone’s side prevailed on both occasions, their only previous meetings in the competition.
More recently the last nine encounters have produced 35 goals between them, and there will be an embarrassment of attacking riches on show this evening. “We are ready to compete and we believe we can hurt them,” said Simeone. This could be quite good …
Kick-off: 8pm UK time.