Can Simeone's Tactics Thwart Barcelona?

MADRID, TUESDAY – "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." That quote from Albert Einstein is on the mind of Atletico Madrid coach, Diego Simeone, as he prepares his team to face Barcelona in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal, which will be held at the Civitas Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid, Thursday (3/4/2025) at 2:30 AM WIB.

Barcelona is currently the strongest team in Spain and has quality players in every position. Therefore, facing Barcelona using the usual tactics, which prioritize defense and hope to achieve victory, is sheer madness.

In fact, for Atletico, a victory against Barcelona is a necessity if they wish to maintain their only chance of winning a trophy this season. After losing to Real Madrid in the Round of 16 of the Champions League and being stuck in third place in the Spanish League standings, Atletico's only opportunity to become champions lies in the Copa del Rey. Atletico last won the Copa del Rey in the 2012-2013 season.

In the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals on February 26, Atletico delivered a surprising performance by holding the host Barcelona to a 4-4 draw. Atletico initially led 2-0, then fell behind 2-4, before managing to equalize the score to 4-4 just before the referee blew the final whistle.

Now, only a victory over Barcelona can take Atletico to the final and pursue the trophy. If they succeed, the trophy will be their first in the last three years across all competitions. Atletico's last trophy was winning the Spanish League in the 2020-2021 season.

To conquer Barcelona, Diego Simeone is devising a new plan that is different and highly risky. Typically, Simeone employs tight and strong defensive tactics when facing Spanish giants and other European nations.

Now, El Cholo, Simeone's nickname, is preparing his players to play aggressively in order to pressure Barcelona's defense. Barcelona will no longer be allowed to dominate ball possession and dictate the flow of the game. In the last two meetings between Barcelona and Atletico, Barcelona consistently dominated ball possession, reaching over 67 percent.

Based on monitoring by Spanish media, AS Diario and Marca, Tuesday (1/4/2025), Simeone led his players' training directly and repeatedly shouted instructions for them to play faster, tighter, more carefully, and not lose the ball easily. Every pass must be accurate and focused on attacking.

Atletico also had a practice match with a young Atletico team to simulate aggressive tactics and quick transitions from back to front, and from left to right. Forwards Antoine Griezmann and Julian Alvarez were also required to help fight for the ball before finishing it into a goal.

Simeone did not allow defenders Jose Gimenez and Clement Lenglet, as well as midfielders Rodrigo De Paul and Connor Gallagher to clear the ball easily. They had to keep the ball and find a way to counter-press Barcelona's defense.

Simeone told his players that they are players from a top team so they must be able to play the ball and do different things to surprise the opponent.

“We will not let them dictate the game,” said Simeone.

The tactic could yield sweet results for Atletico if they can disrupt Barcelona's rhythm. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick never designed his team to play defensively. If Atletico can press effectively and cut off the opponent's ball distribution, Barcelona will be defeated.

However, beating Barcelona is not an easy task. Barcelona are in fiery form. Meanwhile, Atletico have been inconsistent and have failed to win in their last three domestic matches.

Barcelona are unbeaten since entering 2025. Barca have won 17 of 20 games in all competitions, with three games ending in draws. That achievement has taken Barca to the top of the La Liga standings and into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Meanwhile, after holding Barcelona to a draw in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final, Atletico seemed to have lost their energy to compete. In La Liga, Los Rojiblancos lost 1-2 to Getafe, lost again 2-4 to Barcelona, and could only draw 1-1 against Espanyol.

Atletico's once-solid defense is now too easy to penetrate. Simeone's aggressive pressing tactics could backfire if Barcelona's players are able to escape the pressure and launch a quick counterattack.

Barca have some very sharp players in the penalty box. Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal are ready to tear Atletico's goal apart if there are gaps in Atletico's defense that can be exploited.