Spanish football powerhouses Barcelona and Atletico Madrid collide for the second time in 10 days, but this time the stake is even higher with semifinal spot in the Copa Del Rey up for grabs on Wednesday at Camp Nuo.
After overcoming a crisis that could have blown their campaign apart, Barcelona will try to sustain their strong run against an Atletico Madrid aching to exact some revenge after they got obliterated 3-1 by the same last January 11.
Regardless of the gloomy outlook surrounding Lionel Messi's future at Camp Nuo, the four-time FIFA Player of the Year stepped up to the plate and become the leader Barcelona were searching for all season long. The Argentine has been on a rampage the past couple weeks, and his recent hat-trick against Deportivo La Coruna showed just how dominant he has been as of late.
However, Barcelona manager Luis Enrique knows that they would need to find other way to score outside Messi for them to thwart Atletico Madrid's latest challenge.
"Atletico is a team I like, they are complete in every facet with a direct, aggressive style and a strong team ethic," Luis Enrique said of his opponents on Tuesday in his pre-match news conference via ESPN FC.
The return of legendary midfielder Xavi from a four-game absence due to a calf injury bodes well for Barcelona, giving the team an excellent playmaker capable of creating more scoring opportunities for its three-headed striking force of Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.
"Xavi Hernandez is back in the reckoning for a place in the first team after been given the medical all clear to play tonight against Atletico Madrid," Barcelona addressed in the official statement. "After missing the last four games with a calf injury, the captain has been called up into Luis Enrique's 18-man squad for the Cup quarterfinal first leg."
Live Stream, Highlights, Box Score Stats & Updates
Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid Copa del Rey Quarterfinal clash (first leg) will kick off at 5:00 p.m United States time. The game can be watched on mobile devices via Live Stream (Sports Stream / SkyGo) while highlights, box score stats and updates are available on Goal Arena.
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