The top two in La Liga put their domestic rivalry to one side as Barcelona and Atletico Madrid clash in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday.
Atletico currently sit on top in Spain, a point better off than defending champions Barca, but the record between the two sides is weighted heavily in favour of the Catalan giants, who have not lost a Champions League quarter-final match since 2003.
Atletico do look to have a mountain to climb given their recent record against Barcelona, which has not seen them win at the Camp Nou since 2006 when Fernando Torres scored twice.
Their last win over Barca was in 2010, when they beat them at the Vicente Calderon, and although their successes are limited, they are unbeaten against them this season in three matches.
In addition, Barcelona’s record against fellow Spanish sides in the Champions League is not wonderful, having only won two of those six clashes.
The two faced off over two legs in the Spanish Super Cup, with both games ending in draws as Barcelona prevailed only due to scoring an away goal in Madrid.
The two have also met in La Liga earlier this year but that match ended goalless.
Barcelona are looking to book their seventh successive semi-final appearance in the Champions League, which would extend the record they already hold.
Atletico have not reached the semi-finals since 1974, but along with city rivals Real, they are one of only two teams who are still undefeated in the Champions League this season.
Barca come into the game off the back of a narrow 1-0 win over their city rivals Espanyol, whilst Atletico claimed a 2-1 success at Athletic Bilbao in the Basque country.
The match interestingly also pits two Argentine coaches against each other in the shape of Gerardo Martino and Diego Simeone.
source: eurosport.com
STUDIO 3 NEWCASTLE AUSTRALIA 