The second leg of the Champions League quarterfinal between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona will be played tonight at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid.
Diego Simeone’s team has a two-goal advantage from the first match (0–2), but the Catalans will certainly not go in waving the white flag, and according to reports, they are aiming for a remontada (comeback).
However, Barcelona raised concerns to UEFA regarding the height of the grass at the Metropolitano Stadium, with coach Hansi Flick discussing the issue with a UEFA delegate during his team’s final training session.
A video surfaced showing Flick pointing toward the pitch at the Metropolitano Stadium and discussing the grass height with one of the officials, sparking speculation that Barcelona was unhappy with the pitch conditions ahead of a decisive European clash.
According to AS, officials from the Catalan club later clarified that no official complaint had been filed. However, they confirmed that Flick passed on his observations to UEFA delegates, who then carried out the usual pre-match pitch inspection protocols.
The same report states that Atletico dismissed suggestions that the pitch is problematic ahead of the second leg, with the Madrid club claiming that the grass is in good condition—if not noticeably better than it was a month ago.
They also emphasized that higher temperatures in Madrid in recent weeks have contributed to maintaining the quality of the grass at the Metropolitano.
