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.
