Atlético vs Barcelona: Simeone defends perfect home knockout record in Champions League clash | OneFootball

Barcelona head to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League tonight with history against them.

Hansi Flick's side endured a nightmare first leg at the Camp Nou, withy a 2-0 defeat leaving theirChampions League campaign in jeopardy.

Pau Cubarsi's red card kickstarted the club's collapse, as goals from Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth saw Atletico earn an impressive first-leg lead.

Barcelona are theLa Liga leaders but stand on the brink of a second cup elimination against Atletico Madrid this season.

The capital club beat Barca in the Copa del Rey semi-finals, thrashing the Catalans 4-0 in the first leg before surviving a scare in the return, as Barcelona won 3-0 in a valiant losing effort.

Barcelona can take encouragement from that performance, as the visitors look to overturn a two-goal deficit at Metropolitano Stadium.

However, history is against Barcelona, withDiego Simeone boasting a formidable record in this competition. The Atletico Madrid manager has never lost a home knockout game as a coach, registering 11 wins and six draws from 17 Champions League games.

The only 'home' defeat Atletico have suffered under Simeone's managementcame against Chelsea in 2021, in a tie played in Romania instead of Spain because of Covid-19 restrictions.

Atletico's last home defeat in a Champions League knockout match came 29 years ago, in March 1997, when Ajax secured a 3-2 extra-time win in the Spanish capital.

Barcelona must break that remarkable record to keep their Champions League dream alive.

Atletico Madrid's home record under Diego Simeone in Champions League knockout stage games