Soccer Football - UEFA Champions League - Play Off - First Leg - Club Brugge v Atletico Madrid - Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges, Belgium - February 18, 2026 Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone before the match REUTERS/Maurice Van Steen

Atletico's Simeone wary of wounded Barca despite healthy lead in Cup tie

02 Mar 2026, 13:56 · CNA · Join

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March 2 : A 4-0 lead going into Tuesday's second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final tie at Barcelona is of little comfort for Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone, who called for a disciplined approach when his players face the LaLiga champions.

Atletico's first-half blitz stunned Barcelona last month and the Catalan side failed to score in a domestic match for the first time this season to leave their opponents on the verge of reaching their first Copa del Rey final since 2012-13.

"We're thinking about the match ahead of us, against a very good opponent, who are attacking, open and play as a team, making them one of the most competitive sides in LaLiga and in Europe," Simeone told reporters on Monday.

LaLiga leaders Barcelona, who beat Atletico 3-1 in the league in December, have netted seven goals in their last two matches, with Lamine Yamal scoring a hat-trick against Villarreal on Saturday.

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"(Yamal) is a very good individual player, particularly dangerous in the final stages of the game... we have to put him where he feels most uncomfortable, which is defending," Simeone said.

Atletico are third in LaLiga, 13 points below Barcelona, with 12 games left. They have also reached the Champions League round of 16 and will face Tottenham Hotspur.

Simeone said he was happy to be fighting for multiple trophies going into the final three months of the season.

"In summer, you always think, I wish we could compete for everything. Now we're in a fantastic position, fighting for what we want," he said.

Atletico's Simeone wary of wounded Barca despite healthy lead in Cup tie

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