Three things Barcelona must do to win against Atletico Madrid | OneFootball

Barcelona face off against Atletico Madrid later today in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal tie, and the goal will be to take home a sizeable lead and advantage.

To reach the final, after all, Barcelona have to face the strongest remaining team in the final-four stage, and Atletico Madrid enter the game in good form.

While Diego Simeone’s side may have lost their last game, they smashed the same opponent, Real Betis, days before the 1-0 defeat by a 5-0 margin and looked at their attacking best on the night.

Taking them down, needless to say, will be easier said than done. Barça Universal brings you three things the Catalans must do to beat Atletico Madrid.

Finish chances

There is little to no doubt that Barcelona will create chances come Thursday night, as they will do regardless of the opposition they face and the venue they play at.

The attacking talent in Hansi Flick’s setup is simply too good to have a scenario where chances are not created, and the team have peaked in that respect in recent games, racking up massive xGs.

Their issue, however, has been with effectively burying chances – something the squad has struggled to do as a whole.

Against a defensively well-oiled team like Atletico Madrid, every chance created is worth its weight in gold and the Blaugrana must ensure to make them count. After all, every goal they score will improve their aggregate lead.

Curb Sorloth’s physical threat

Sorloth has been a big threat for Barcelona in the past. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Los Rojiblancos are spoilt for attacking options with the likes of Ademola Lookman, Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth all being candidates who are ready to start and perform at centre-forward.

Of them, however, Sorloth has a great record against Barcelona simply because his physical and aerial presence is often too much for the defenders to handle. Neutralising his threat will thus count for so much of the result.

The Norwegian international already has seven goals in the league this season, and Barcelona are among his favourite rivals.

How Flick plans to add physicality to defence and neutralise his presence will be critical, and Ronald Araujo is an option on that front for the club.

Step up defence on the flank

Barcelona’s defensive pairing of Eric Garcia and Pau Cubarsi has looked relatively stable in recent games and has been the best pairing the manager has deployed this season. They have worked the offside trap well, have good coordination and possess great ball-playing skills.

As good as the central defence has been, however, the team’s defence on the flanks has been equally as poor, with most attacks emerging from peripheral channels.

Alejandro Balde has done exceedingly well in attack in recent days, but his advanced positioning leaves room for counterattacks behind him. Given that Giuliano Simeone will be on his flank on Thursday, his defensive efforts will be more critical than ever.

And then there is the Jules Kounde question, for the player has looked a shadow of his former self all season with lethargic movements, poor reading of play and regularly sloppy distribution.

He will likely he up against the dynamic Lookman and will have to step up his game massively.

How the full-backs defend and shut down peripheral channels, thus, will play a critical role in deciding Thursday’s result, especially given how reliant Atletico Madrid are on their wingers.