Pedri's midfield partners against Atleti: there's a surprise

Flick has experimented with multiple midfield pairings alongside Pedri in 10 matches against Atlético, with Bernal, Gavi and De Jong all having played the role previously.

Since arriving at Barcelona in the 2024-25 season, Hansi Flick has faced Atlético Madrid 10 times across La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League, recording six wins, one draw and three defeats. The German manager has used those encounters to test different tactical setups and player combinations, particularly in midfield.

With Rodri sidelined by injury, the question of who will partner Pedri in the centre of the pitch has become pressing. Flick has already trialled all the main candidates in this role: Bernal played alongside Pedri in the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg (1-2 win), Gavi featured in the Champions League semi-final return (1-2 victory), and De Jong has appeared with Pedri in Copa matches. Eric García has also been used as a midfielder on three occasions, most recently in La Liga and Champions League fixtures.

Flick's approach to facing Atlético has extended beyond midfield, with experiments across the entire team — three different goalkeepers, rotating centre-backs, and various attacking combinations. Most notably, he has deployed Raphinha as an improvised centre-forward this season, a move that has yielded 19 goals in 15 matches.