Atlético Madrid are set to face off against Barcelona in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium on Thursday, February 12, 2026. Kick off time is due to be 9pm CET (8pm GMT / 9pm WAT).
Diego Simeone‘s side are looking for a strong home advantage in this high-stakes encounter, while Hansi Flick‘s Barcelona – who are currently leading La Liga and on a winning streak – are looking to take control and gain the upper hand before the return leg at Camp Nou on either the 3rd or 4th of March. Taking another look at last season’s semi final – where Barcelona got the upper hand – we’re expecting an intense game between these two Spanish giants.
Match Summary
Barcelona are in top form, having won their last six matches across all competitions – including a pretty comfortable victory over Mallorca – and have been looking very clinical in attack and solid at the back. Their recent dominance over Atlético Madrid included a 3-1 league win back in December 2025 and this has to be a concern for Simeone’s side.
However, we can’t count them out entirely – Atlético currently sit 3rd in the league and while they have been somewhat inconsistent (WLDWL of late) – and are definitely looking to do better against Barcelona in the knockout stages of the competition. With Hansi Flick‘s team having a reputation for being strong at set pieces and quick on the counter and Atlético having a reputation for being tough to beat at home we could be in for a close contest.
Expect goals from a combination of set pieces, quick transitions and individuals showing off their skills – Historically these games have been pretty intense and have featured some big scores so that could be the case again here. In fact, over 2.5 goals has been a regular feature in recent clashes between these two sides.
Head to head: Barcelona have won three of the last five meetings, however Atlético‘s home form could mean that this one is a tight and very entertaining game indeed.
Possible Lineups
Atlético Madrid ( likely to go 4-4-2 or 4-3-3): Oblak/Musso – Llorente, Pubill/Hancko, Hancko/Giménez, Ruggeri – Koke, Mendoza, Simeone/Giuliano, Baena/Lookman – Griezmann , Álvarez
Simeone is without Pablo Barrios (thigh injury) and may also be without Marc Pubill (illness) and has doubts over Johnny Cardoso. Antoine Griezmann and Julián Álvarez are likely to be the key players up front, with Ademola Lookman providing pace down the flanks.
Barcelona ( might go 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1): Joan García – Koundé, Cubarsí, Eric García, Balde – De Jong, Bernal/López, Olmo – Yamal , Lewandowski/Torres, Torres/Fermín
Hansi Flick has got a few injuries to contend with including Gavi, Pedri, Raphinha (injured) and Marcus Rashford (knee knock) and also has absences in the form of Christensen. Lamine Yamal is likely to be the player to watch for Barcelona, with support coming from Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres in attack.
Prediction
Barcelona have got a lot going for them at the moment and it’s hard to see them losing this one, especially with Lamine Yamal likely to be running riot and Flick’s midfield control on song. Atlético will give it their all at home and will try and catch Barcelona on the break with Griezmann and Álvarez looking to punish any mistakes – and it’s a fair bet we’ll see plenty of chances as a result. Given Barcelona’s current form and momentum, though, I reckon they’ll sneak away with a one goal advantage going into the second leg and it’ll be a cracker of a game.
Final score prediction: Atlético Madrid 1-2 Barcelona
