Much changed Atlético Madrid since last meeting
The last remaining obstacle standing in between FC Barcelona and another Copa del Rey final is Diego Simeone's Atlético Madrid side. The two team meet on Thursday, kick off 9pm CET, at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium in the first leg of their semi-final. The teams have already met once this season in La Liga with Barça taking an important 3-1 win back in December. Since that game the transfer window in January has come and gone with Atlético taking the opportunity to revitalise their squad ahead of the second half of the campaign.
Four players out
'Los colchoneros' saw four players leave the club in January whilst three came in. Two members of the squad who had played little in the opening half of the season packed their bags: Carlos Martín headed off to Rayo Vallecano and Javi Galán exchanged Madrid for Pamplona with a move to Osasuna.
Italian Raspadori headed back to Serie A with Atalanta and Conor Gallagher returned to the Premier League and Tottenham Hotspur.
Three in
Moving in the opposite direction were three players to bolster Diego Simeone's squad. The most high profile arrival was that of 28 year old Ademola Lookman, a London born Nigerian international who has had spells at Everton, Red Bull Leipzig and most recently Atalanta. The winger made his debut in the Copa del Rey quarter final against Betis in successful fashion, scoring once and creating another for Atlético.
Simeone's two other January signings also made their debuts against Betis in the cup. Rodrigo Mendoza and Obed Vargas, both 20 years old, are acquisitions with one eye on the future for the Madrid club. The former recently featured against Barça for Elche in their meeting in La Liga and is already a Spanish U21 international.
Obed Vargas was born in Alaska in the USA but is a Mexico international. The midfielder comes to Atlético from MLS club Seattle Sounders to find his place in an Atlético squad that has a new look to it ahead of Thursday's Copa del Rey semi-final first leg game against Barça.