Barcelona lose key player for the remainder of 2025 as huge injury blow overshadows win over Atletico Madrid

Atletico drew first blood inside 20 minutes when Alex Baena timed his run to perfection before coolly sliding the ball past Joan García. But the lead didn’t last long. Pedri carved Atletico open with a superb through ball that released Raphinha, who danced past Jan Oblak and tucked home the equaliser. The hosts were gifted a chance to turn the scoreline on its head late in the first half after Olmo was tripped inside the penalty area. Yet Robert Lewandowski, usually ice-cold from the spot, blasted his attempt well over the bar in a moment he will want to forget. The miss didn’t derail Barca, though. Just after the hour mark, Olmo produced a moment of quality that restored their lead, but hurt himself in the process and was subsequently replaced. Barca held on for the three points, but celebrations were dampened when early assessments confirmed the midfielder had suffered a dislocation and is expected to miss at least four weeks. 

Barcelona have confirmed the recovery timeframe for Olmo in an official statement: "The first team player Dani Olmo suffered a dislocated left shoulder in the game on Tuesday against Atlético Madrid.  After tests, it has been decided to follow a conservative course of treatment. Recovery time is approximately one month."

For Olmo, the injury is especially disheartening given his history. During his time at RB Leipzig, he endured a similar dislocation to the same shoulder, an issue that ultimately required surgery and left him sidelined for two months. Tuesday’s setback has revived those concerns, with Barcelona anxious about what further scans may reveal.

The timing is also problematic for Flick, who is already without Fermin Lopez. Should Olmo be ruled out for an extended period, the Barca manager would be left with only Dro Fernandez as a natural attacking midfielder, though Raphinha could be repurposed into a central role if necessary.

Flick acknowledged the concern while speaking after the match. "Pedri is fine, just a little tired. Dani Olmo has shoulder problems…we’ll see," he said cautiously.

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Despite the injury setback, Flick was effusive when reflecting on his side’s performance. The Barca head coach described the victory as "perfect", praising the squad for delivering on the tactical plan crafted ahead of the match.

He said: "It was perfect. The players have been at a great level. We played against a great team but we fought and fought together. It’s been great, I’d say fantastic. We did what we had talked about before the game and that makes me happy. I am very satisfied. We controlled with the ball, we created more space than in other games and we took our chances. This was a key match. It’s always important to gain confidence."

On the opposition bench, Diego Simeone was gracious in defeat as he reflected on his team's efforts: "We started well, but they managed to hurt us inside, with the ball filtered inside. In the second half, it was the opposite: they started a little better but, after 20 minutes, we were the ones who looked for the game. We couldn’t complete it, but I liked the team. We know that they have very good feet and that they play with a lot of people inside so that disorder appears in the rival centre-backs, and today it worked very well for them. But I feel very calm and happy with what the team did."

Barcelona’s schedule leaves little time for reflection. Flick’s side will travel to Seville this weekend to face Real Betis, hoping their midweek victory serves as a springboard rather than a turning point derailed by injury.