Spanish La Liga giants FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid will collide in the first leg of the 2016 Champions League on Tuesday at Camp Nou.
FC Barcelona are looking to move a step closer to successfully defending their title, but the Catalan club should regroup quickly after suffering a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga on Saturday.
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The loss to Real Madrid ended FC Barcelona's 39-game winning run, but Barca defender Gerard Pique said, via ESPN FC, that their approach will not change, insisting that they are focused on the big game against Atletico Madrid.
Pique said that they cannot afford to get affected by the defeat, knowing that they are still ahead in the La Liga standings and will also have to prepare mentally for the Copa del Rey final.
FC Barcelona will be favored to win heading into the match, but Pique said it will not be easy because Atletico Madrid are playing great football. FC Barcelona coach Luis Enrique echoed Pique's assessment, saying that their Spanish La Liga rivals have proven they are a force to reckon with in any competition.
"Atletico Madrid are a top-level team, that's why they are where they are competing with Barca and Madrid despite not having the financial resources," Enrique said of their Champions League quarterfinals foes. "They are going to make life difficult for us."
The Champions League holders will have to pull off a win at home without Adriano, Aleix Vidal and Jeremy Mathieu. Germany international Marc-Andre ter Stegen will man the goal for FC Barcelona.
On the other hand, Atletico Madrid midfielder Oliver Torres and defender Josema Gimenez will likely miss the game, but Diego Godin is expected to return along with Stefan Savic, the Guardian reported.
FC Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid Live Stream and Where to Watch
The FC Barcelona-Atletico Madrid match will kick off at 2:45 p.m. ET. Fans can catch the action on Fox Sports and Fox Deportes, and via live streaming on Fox Soccer 2GO. More TV schedule and online streaming information are available on Live Soccer TV. Below is the projected lineups for both teams.
FC Barcelona: Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Javier Mascherano, Jordi Alba; Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic, Andres Iniesta; Leo Messi, Luis Suarez, Neymar
Atletico Madrid: Jan Oblak; Juanfran, Lucas Hernandez, Diego Godin, Filipe Luis; Koke, Gabi, Augusto, Saul; Fernando Torres, Antoine Griezmann
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