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Waiting to see what the new Real Madrid becomes, Barcelona and Atlético have built a rivalry through tough games, some fun, others decaffeinated, always with a classic flavor. The Madrid team unhinged Barça in the League, which saw the rojiblancas raise the title over and over again, while from the Barça technical secretary they increased their investment year after year. But the sports director of Barcelona, Markel Zubizarreta (son of Andoni, goalkeeper of the Dream Team), hit the mark. He opted for Lluís Cortès on the bench and for an attacking trio as explosive as powerful, with the foreigners Martens (Holland), Oshoala (Nigeria) and Graham (Norway), joined by the elegant Jenni Hermoso, sometimes as a forward , others as a steering wheel. And Barça reigned again in the Iberdrola League, although they did not enjoy it (the Federation awarded them the title with the tournament unfinished) and this Friday it does not seem that they will enjoy their first classic in Europe against Atlético in the quarterfinals. Champions League final (6pm, Gol TV).
Although without the pace they wanted, Barça came to Bilbao encouraged. In any case, Atlético puzzles him. They ignore how casualties can affect the rojiblanco team (among those sanctioned, injured and affected by covid-19, they present a call with 17 players, with three from the subsidiary) and they long for a competitive match to take shape. “They always fight and historically they are very close matches. I hope for him along the same lines, ”said Cortès. It is the first time in its history that Atlético has made it into the top eight in Europe. Barcelona, on the other hand, already adds experience in the Champions League: they played it for the first time in the 2012-2013 campaign, lost four times in the quarterfinals, once in the semifinal and last season they achieved an unprecedented feat for women's football: the final.
Barcelona couldn't say a peep in the final against the mighty Olympique Lyon. The French team, six times champion, the team that has played the most games in the competition (100), is again presented in the Basque Country as the great favorite for the title. They do not know, yes, if they can count on their franchise player, the Norwegian Ada Hegerberg, top scorer of the tournament (53), who is recovering from a torn ligament in her right knee.
As the men's Champions was installed in Lisbon, the women's is divided between Bilbao and San Sebastián. The winner of the duel between Atlético and Barcelona will face the victorious match between Glasgow City and Wolfsburg, which is played in Anoeta. The German team is the candidate to break the hegemony of Lyon. The Norwegian Pernille Harder and the Polish Ewa Pajor are the letters of Wolfsburg, Champions of the Champions in 2013 and 2014. It will not be easy for Barça, much less Atlético, to sneak into the final, which will be played on Sunday 30 at the Real Sociedad stadium.