Copa del Rey Barca host At. Madrid today

A matchup worthy of the final will knock out Barcelona or Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey.

Barcelona hosts Atletico today in the opening leg, less than two weeks after Lionel Messi ended a scoring drought for a 3-1 win in the league. That broke Atletico's streak of six games without losing to the Catalan club from last season, capped by a winner-takes-all finale for the league crown at Camp Nou.

"Having won (our last meeting) doesn't influence what happens on the pitch, but emotionally it is a big boost for us coming after six games last season without a win against them," Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said.

Atletico, however, arrives on firm footing after eliminating cup holder and crosstown rival Real Madrid in the round of 16.

Atletico coach Diego Simeone said the key to stopping Barcelona would be beating its defensive pressure.

"We are facing the best version of Barcelona," Simeone said. "I admire how much they have improved once they lose possession. It's key for them to react quickly to stop counterattacks. I won't guess what the result will be, but I know that each minute will be important.