Why is Robert Lewandowski not starting today for Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid in 2026 Copa del Rey semifinal first leg?

Polish superstar Robert Lewandowski would usually be one of the players you want starting when facing a semifinal. However, as Barcelona play Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the 2026 Copa del Rey semifinal, he is not in the starting lineup. Why is that?

Hansi Flick, Barcelona’s manager, opted to go with as the starting number nine for the ‘Blaugrana‘ and leave Lewandowski on the bench. This is a tactical decision by the German coach, who has done it constantly this season.

This is not the only top-tier player who is not starting for Barcelona against the Atletico Madrid. However, Lewandowski is healthy and is just a matter that he lost his place to Torres in the lineup. In a key game, the 37-year-old, is not trusted to play the full 90 minutes.

Lewandowski’s numbers compared to Torres’

In the 2025-2026 season, Torres has played 31 games, starting 21 of those. He has 16 goals and one assist in all competitions. As for Lewandowski, he has played 28 games, starting 16, scoring 13 goals and getting one assist in the process. That would make Torres a slightly more prolific player for Barcelona this year.

In raw numbers, Ferran Torres has an 0.88 G+A per 90 minutes played. As for Lewandowski, it’s just slightly below, providing a 0.84 G+A pero 90 minutes played. However, Torres is faster, and more collaborative than Lewandowski, who is more of a traditional, classic striker.

How did Barcelona and Atletico get here?

Barcelona qualified to the semifinals after beating Guadalajara (2-0) in the Round of 32, Racing Santander (2-0) in the Round of 16, and Albacete (2-1) in the quarterfinals. The ‘Culés’ are favored to win against Atletico Madrid in this game.

The ‘Colchoneros‘ beat Atletico Baleares (3-2) in Round of 32, Deportivo La Coruña (1-0) in Round of 16, and Real Betis (5-0) in the quarterfinals. It was a statement made in the quarterfinals but now it’s a tougher test.