Why aren’t Frenkie de Jong and Marc Bernal playing today for Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid in the Champions League Quarterfinals?
Throughout the 2025–26 season, Barcelona have managed to remain competitive, emerging as candidates to win the Champions League. For today’s match, Hansi Flick faces a difficult challenge, as he goes up against Atlético Madrid in the quarterfinals. However, they will do so without Marc Bernal and Frenkie de Jong, losing their two starting midfielders. With this in mind, they will be forced to make major changes to their starting lineup.
After suffering an injury at the end of February, Frenkie de Jong has remained absent over Barcelona’s last eight matches. Although it seemed he would arrive in time, the Dutchman was unable to receive medical clearance, leaving him out of the first leg against Los Colchoneros. Nevertheless, he could get minutes against Espanyol, arriving in time for the second leg of the quarterfinals.
While Marc Bernal was the ideal replacement for the Dutchman, he will also be out for the match against Atlético Madrid. In the previous game, he had to come off just minutes after entering the field, being diagnosed with an ankle sprain that will sideline him for 10 days. Although his recovery period is short, this rules him out of both legs of the Champions League. With this, they lose both of their starting midfielders.
In the absence of Frenkie and Bernal, coach Hansi Flick could opt for Eric Garcia as a defensive midfielder. After regaining Jules Koundé, he could leave his position as a full-back and cover the absence of both stars. In addition, Marc Casadó could also play a key role off the bench, offering a more defensive and controlled profile. Nonetheless, the Blaugranas may still struggle to hold the control of the game.
Frenkie and Bernal’s absence could boost Dani Olmo starting role
Hansi Flick has managed to establish dominance in midfield, relying on Frenkie de Jong or Marc Bernal. With them on the field, Barcelona have been able to gain a privileged control of the ball due to their great vision of play, while maintaining defensive solidity. Therefore, the absence of both midfielders would justify the presence of Dani Olmo as a forward/false 9, as it would balance the build-up and the fluidity of play for the Blaugranas.
Although Eric Garcia or Marc Casadó have delivered solid performances, they do not offer the same offensive contribution for Barcelona. With this, coach Hansi Flick could rely on the pairing of Dani Olmo and Fermín López as key pieces, looking to provide constant support to the midfield. Additionally, this could open spaces for Marcus Rashford and Lamine Yamal to play on the wings, posing a constant threat to Atlético Madrid.
Along with this, the presence of Dani Olmo has already proven to be decisive in opening spaces against Los Colchoneros. Moving constantly and supporting Fermin Lopez, he manages to attract opposing defenders, opening spaces behind them. Moreover, he manages to generate numerical superiority in all offensive actions, allowing them to sustain possession longer and have more attacking opportunities.