FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid will meet again, this time in the quarter finals of the Champions League, with the recent Copa del Rey semi-final fresh in the memory, when the red-and-whites qualified for the final thanks to a blazing display in the first leg, but the Catalans came frustratingly close to cancelling them out with a scintillating performance at Spotify Camp Nou.

That's recent history, but it's still history. Now the two teams face each other once again with a fresh slate.

Atlético sealed their place in the last eight with a 7-5 aggregate victory over Tottenham Hotspur. They lost 3-2 in London this evening, but started the game with a three-goal head start thanks to their emphatic performance in the Spanish capital a week earlier.

EA021448
Do you want to come to the Champions League quarter finals?
Leave your details and we'll notify you when tickets are on sale
LET ME KNOW

The dates

The first leg will be played on 8 April at the Spotify Camp Nou, before the return a week later (14 April) at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. In other words, the reverse of the order in the cup.

Intriguingly, Barça and Atlético will also meet in Madrid on 4 April (9pm CEST) in a Liga clash, just days before the European showdown. That means, straight after the international break, Barça are set for an intense run of almost three consecutive games against Diego Simeone’s side.

The only change of scenery comes in the form of a derby against Espanyol, squeezed in between the two Champions League legs.

Six games this season

With those fixtures on the horizon, the 2025/26 campaign will feature no fewer than six meetings between Barça and Atlético. So far, the balance slightly favours the Catalans, with two wins to Atlético’s one, including Barça’s progression to the Copa del Rey final.

Both La Liga and the Champions League could now hinge, to a large extent, on these clashes with Simeone’s side. High drama guaranteed!

Força Barça