Atletico Madrid suffered a significant blow at the weekend.
Los Colchoneros ended a four-game losing run with a 3-2 victory over Athletic Bilbao on Saturday. They won, but at what cost. Well, the cost was a thigh injury for Pablo Barrios. The 22-year-old limped off on the hour mark. It hinders Atletico’s chances of progressing past Arsenal.
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Barrios has forged a fine midfield partnership with compatriot Koke. The young Spaniard is able to shake off opposition pressure with ease and drive the ball upfield for Atletico. What’s more, his high work rate means he’s indispensable for Diego Simeone’s hard-working Atleti side.
Barrios absence a blow for Atleti
So, for the youngster to sit out both semi-final meetings with Arsenal is a significant blow. The Madrid giants are on the cusp of a first Champions League final since 2016. They already faced an uphill task when it was confirmed they’d face the Premier League leaders in the final four. Barrios’ absence makes it nigh-on insurmountable, even if he did play the full 90 when the pair locked horns at the Emirates last October.
What’s more, this is a different Arsenal team now. They’ve won only two of their last seven heading into Wednesday’s first leg clash, and both were by a single goal as they beat Sporting CP in Lisbon and Newcastle United at the Emirates over the weekend. Atletico will sense blood. What Simeone would have given to have Barrios available.
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Even so, the Argentine isn’t short of options to fill the void in the middle of the park. Chances are Simeone will continue with his favoured 4-4-2 setup. Julian Alvarez will feature on the frontline, partnered with either the experienced Antoine Griezmann or the returning Alexander Sorloth.
The issue now, though, is who joins Koke in the middle of the park. This is a real selection dilemma for Simeone, and he’s down to two standout options – Johnny Cardoso or Marcos Llorente.
Johnny Cardoso vs Marcos Llorente
American Cardoso replaced Barrios for the final half-hour against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday. However, the former Real Betis man hasn’t wholly convinced Simeone he warrants a regular first-team spot. Indeed, Cardoso has made just 12 league starts and four European starts for Atletico this season.
That’s not to say that Cardoso has disappointed when called upon. The 24-year-old has proven an effective ball-winner in the Champions League. 3.3 tackles per 90 minutes ranks among the top 15 players in the competition this season. The issue for Simeone, though, will be what Cardoso does when he does win the ball back.
Cardoso may be averaging more passes per 90 (48.3) than Llorente (42.9) in the Champions League this season. However, the former ranks lower than the latter for both pass accuracy (85.4% to 90%) and chances created per 90 (0.3 to 0.9). Furthermore, Llorente ranks higher for forward passes per 90 (14.2 to 11.8).
On the face of it, Llorente is the better fit to start in place of the injured Barrios. However, the above numbers also take into Llorente’s time at right-back. This in itself is another selection conundrum for Simeone. Does he move the Spain international into midfield and bring Nahuel Molina into the XI?
Llorente the better fit in central midfield?
Even so, in central midfield, Llorente is putting up worse numbers than Cardoso. Forward passes per 90 drops to 9.9 when he starts in central midfield. So, too, do passes per 90 (34.6), pass accuracy (86.7%) and chances created per 90 (0.2). It’s not so cut and dry as to who replaces Barrios.
To an extent, it’s a nice selection headache for Simeone. He has two top-quality stand ins in the middle of the park to ease the absence of Barrios. However, looking at the quarter-final meetings with Barcelona, Simeone may just opt for Llorente in place of Cardoso alongside Koke, and it’s easy to see why.
Cardoso boasts limited Champions League experience. His start in the second-leg 3-2 loss at Tottenham last month was just his fourth of his career. Llorente by comparison is a seasoned pro in the competition. Indeed, 971 minutes of Champions League action ranks fourth for Atletico this season. Cardoso, meanwhile, has registered just 384 minutes of career action, all of which have come in 2025-26.
As such, while Cardoso may be putting up stronger numbers in midfield than Llorente, the latter’s experience in the competition means in all likelihood he’ll start alongside Koke in the middle of the park against Arsenal.
Playing against a relegation-threatened Spurs side is one thing. Starting a clash with the Premier League leaders and one of the Champions League favourites is a whole different kettle of fish.