Atletico captain reacts to Barcelona draw for Copa del Rey semi-finals – ‘One of the teams in the best form’ | OneFootball

Having secured a spot in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey by beating Valencia, FC Barcelona learned their opponents for the penultimate round of the competition earlier today.

With the semi-final draw taking place at Las Rozas earlier today, Barcelona found themselves paired up against bitter rivals Atletico Madrid in the final-four stage, with Real Madrid facing Real Sociedad in the other encounter.

The Blaugrana will play the first leg at home in Montjuic later this month while the second leg will take place at the Metropolitano in the first week of April.

Koke expects a difficult match

Reacting to the draw, Atletico Madrid captain and midfielder Koke shared his views, praising Barcelona as one of the teams in the best form throughout this season.

“It is going to be a very difficult match. We will be facing one of the teams in the best form throughout this season. We are aware of their level, we know how they are playing, how they are performing,” said Koke, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.

Atletico face Barcelona in the Copa semi-finals. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

“It will be a very exciting semi-final. We hope that the best team progresses and that it will be Atletico Madrid,” he added.

An important factor to consider is that Atletico Madrid will play the second leg at the Metropolitano. Playing the decisive match in front of their fans could give them an advantage.

“We have the experience from last season, we know that the first match is crucial. We are aware of how difficult it is to play in Barcelona, but we have our strengths, our way of approaching the match,” said Koke on the matter.

“We will try to play a good first leg, and of course, then in the return leg. The most important thing is to play well in Barcelona, and then approach the game with our fans, knowing how they support us, how they motivate us, and knowing what a match at the Metropolitano is like.”