Barcelona unlikely to acquire stadium advantage in time for the second leg against Atletico Madrid | OneFootball

FC Barcelona suffered one of their most painful defeats under Hansi Flick against Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final. At the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, only one side turned up, and it was not the Catalan giants.

A 4-0 scoreline reflected Barcelona’s performance on the night. After the game, Hansi Flick was understandably displeased with his team’s lack of intensity, a reminder of just how bad things can get if they are not switched on.

The only hope for Barcelona is that they have a second leg against Atletico at the Spotify Camp Nou, which offers a very slim chance of a comeback, if any. Now, as per Mundo Deportivo, the club are unlikely to be able to count on a stadium advantage against Diego Simeone’s side.

Barcelona are currently operating with a capacity of around 45,401 spectators at their home stadium, which is still under construction. The club are pushing to secure the 1C licence, which would help them increase the capacity to 62,657.

However, as per the report, it seems unlikely that Barcelona will be able to open the North Stand in time for the Atletico game. The bureaucracy and procedures required by the council to grant this licence are proving to be a struggle.

The ideal scenario is for the stadium to complete its expansion by March, when Barcelona will have their Round of 16 Champions League games, most likely against Newcastle United or PSG, barring any surprises.

The difference of around 15,000 spectators could make a massive impact on the atmosphere in the second leg against Atletico Madrid. However, the Camp Nou can still conjure something special for the game, and let us wait and see whether they can spur the team on to put up a strong fight against Simeone’s side.