Jan Oblak will miss yet another crucial matchup as Atletico Madrid take on Barcelona in the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League. The star goalkeeper will remain sidelined in the first-leg showdown as he is still recovering from a muscle injury.
With his absence at Spotify Camp Nou, Oblak will miss his fifth straight game for Atletico Madrid. Moreover, it will be the third time he misses a game in the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League. To date, this is Atleti’s biggest game of the season, as “Los Colchoneros” vie to come away with a positive result before returning to Madrid for the second leg of this quarterfinal matchup with Barcelona.
Oblak’s absence could be one of the biggest difference-makers in a tight matchup between the two Spanish sides. Barca and Atleti met over the past weekend in Matchweek 30 of La Liga, and it was the former who prevailed by a score of 2-1. However, that result is now worthless as the two sides meet in Europe’s biggest soccer club competition.
Barcelona have their fair share of adversity, too. Raphinha will miss the first leg matchup against Atletico Madrid, as well as Frenkie De Jong who is out for the game, too.
Jan Oblak of Atletico de Madrid
How has Atletico Madrid fared without Oblak?
Since Oblak sustained a muscle injury during a training session on March 13, Diego Simeone’s side has won just one of its last four outings. That was a 1-0 victory over Getafe. Since, Atletico Madrid lost 3-2 to Tottenham in the UCL (won 7-5 on aggregate), and suffered back-to-back defeats against Real Madrid and Barcelona, 3-2 and 2-1, respectively.
Needless to say, their fixture hasn’t been a walk in the park, but Atletico Madrid haven’t managed to come away with wins when they needed it the most. That must change as they visit the Comital City and take on a strong candidate to win the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League.
Who will replace Oblak in goal?
As it’s been the case since Oblak went down with a muscle injury, Argentinian goalkeeper Juan Musso will stand between the three posts for Atletico Madrid. So far, Musso has appeared in two games in the 2025-26 UCL, allowing four goals, and recording no clean sheets. Perhaps, his third start is the charm.
Simeone’s team will have four Argentinians in its starting XI: with the likes of Musso, Nahuel Molina, Giuliano Simeone, and Julian Alvarez. Moreover, fellow countrymen Nicolas Gonzalez and Thiago Almada will await for their turn on the substitues’ bench.
