Barcelona will face Atlético Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinal first leg on Wednesday evening, with Hansi Flick trying to manage a patched-up side after admitting earlier this season that he took a risk with Pedri’s fitness. The Barcelona coach said the team had used Tuesday’s work session to sharpen something specific for the tie, as the club prepares for a match that could be decided as much by its missing pieces as by its headline names.
“Yesterday was about recovery, and today we worked on something special,” Flick said. “It’s important to show on the field what we’ve been working on in training. I hope it works out.”
The problem for Barcelona is that Pedri’s two first-choice midfield partners are set to miss the midweek rematch with Atlético, leaving Flick to reshape the centre of the pitch for a game that has already exposed the Spanish club this season. Barcelona have already faced Atlético four times, and one of those meetings ended in a 4-0 loss in the Copa del Rey semifinal first leg before Raphinha scored in the return tie at Camp Nou, a 3-0 win that kept the team alive.
Read Also: Barcelona Vs Atlético Madrid team news: Yamal set, two attacking spots open
Raphinha’s presence matters beyond goals. Barcelona have lost just one of the 26 games he has started this season, and Flick made clear how much the winger drives the team’s edge when he said, “If there is anyone committed to winning at Barcelona, it’s Raphinha.” His absence now threatens the pressing structures Barcelona depend on across the frontline, a pressure point that could matter immediately against Atlético’s organised shape.
There is at least one lift for Flick. Ronald Araújo has escaped any serious ailment and is set to make Wednesday’s roster, giving Barcelona a defensive option they badly need for a first leg that could get stretched quickly. The deeper concern remains Frenkie de Jong, who has not featured for Barcelona in the Champions League since January after suspension and a hamstring injury kept him out over the following months.
That leaves Flick with a familiar but awkward balance: the tactical work is done, the opponent is known, and the returns have already been mixed. Barcelona have played Atlético enough this season to know what the matchup demands, but the visitors arrive with a midfield shortage and a frontline missing one of its best pressers. Wednesday’s game may turn less on surprise than on whether Barcelona can make their special preparation survive the absences that shape it.
