Madrid and Barcelona are set to clash in the first leg of the 2025-2026 Copa del Rey semifinals on Thursday, February 12th, at the Cívitas Metropolitano stadium. The match, a key fixture in the Spanish football calendar, pits two of La Liga’s strongest teams against each other in a competition that feels like a “final before the final,” according to reports.
Barcelona, currently leading the La Liga table, advanced to the semifinals with a quarterfinal victory over Albacete. Atlético Madrid will be looking to leverage home-field advantage in this first leg, aiming for a result that will give them an edge heading into the return match in Catalonia.
The upcoming match is complicated by a significant number of injuries for Barcelona. Key players Gavi, Pedri, Raphinha, Marcus Rashford, and Andreas Christensen are all confirmed to be out of contention, according to multiple reports. Atlético Madrid will be without Johnny Cardoso and Pablo Barrios, with Nico González listed as doubtful.
Barcelona enters the match in strong form, having won their last five matches. Atlético Madrid’s recent form is more inconsistent, with a record of one win, two losses, and two draws in their last five games.
The match is scheduled to begin at 9:00 PM CET / 8:00 PM GMT. For viewers in the United States, the game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and ESPN 2, with kickoff at 3:00 PM ET. In the UK, ITV4 will carry the broadcast at 8:00 PM GMT. Fans in Nigeria can watch on Sporty TV, while Spanish viewers can tune into TVE La 1. Streaming options include RTVE Play in Spain and FanCode in India.
Juan Martínez Munuera will serve as the referee for the match, with Pablo González Fuertes on VAR duty.
The last meeting between the two sides in LaLiga last December saw Atlético de Madrid win 3-1, with goals from Álex Baena for Atlético and Raphina, Dani Olmo, and Ferran Torres for Barcelona. This will be the ninth time the two teams have met in the Copa del Rey semifinals.
