BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona's Champions League quarterfinal against Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou on Wednesday will pit a teenage phenom against one of La Liga's fading greats.
Barcelona's hopes of ending an 11-year wait for another European Cup will largely rest on the performances of 18-year-old Lamine Yamal. The Spain playmaker has scored in three consecutive Champions League games and his 21 goals overall in all competitions this campaign leads his team.
Atletico for its part will look for inspiration from forward Antoine Griezmann. Atletico's all-time top scorer wants to end his stellar run with the club on a high note before the 35-year-old leaves for the MLS.
The Spanish rivals will have played five times in two months after next week’s second leg in Madrid.
Atletico edged Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semifinals in February before Hansi Flick's side got some revenge on Saturday when it won 2-1 away in the Spanish league to strengthen its league lead.
Barcelona is a five-time European champion, but Diego Simeone’s Atletico eliminated the Catalan club at the same stage both in 2014 and 2016 on the way to reaching the Champions League final.
Barcelona is aiming to reach the semifinals for a second straight year.
Atletico's bid to make its first semifinal appearance since 2017 will depend on its defense and a mix of attacking options which include Julián Álvarez, Ademola Lookman and Alexander Sorloth.
Marcus Rashford will likely start for Barcelona in place of the injured Raphinha.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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