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A duel without records
Barça and Atalanta will face each other for the first time in the Champions League
The last day of the European competition brought together two teams that have never seen each other at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys
The Champions League comes to an end. This Wednesday, at 9:00 p.m., the 18 matches corresponding to the last day will be played simultaneously. FC Barcelona will host Atalanta at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. This is a match that will take place for the first time in the history of the competition, as there are no records of a previous meeting.
Despite being the last match of the qualifying stage for the knockout stages, that does not mean that there is nothing at stake. It is true that the clubs that occupy the places located between 28th and 36th are already mathematically disqualified, but the rest will still be fighting for objectives, some more feasible than others. In the case of Barça (2nd) and La Dea (7th), the Catalans will seek to win in order to try to assault the leadership, although for that they will need Liverpool to fall at PSV's home. On the other hand, the Italian team needs to win to secure its place in the top eight.
The first face-off between the two clubs
FC Barcelona has a long history in the championship. However, its rival cannot say the same. In fact, Atalanta played its first edition of the Champions League in 2019. The previous season it achieved a historic qualification after finishing Serie A in third place, tied on 69 points with Inter Milan. Likewise, it reached the top European competition in the following two seasons. That is, it played three consecutive seasons in Europe's top competition.
In the current campaign, after two years on the sidelines, it has returned to the ring. After facing Arsenal, Shakhtar, Celtic, Stuttgart, Young Boys, Real Madrid and Sturm Graz, it has achieved 4 victories, 2 draws and 1 defeat. In the last matchday, in which it will face FC Barcelona for the first time in the history of the competition, it will seek to close the league phase with a victory. The Blaugranas, on the other hand, will take to the pitch with the same objective. Both have interests at stake, but only football will decide who manages to achieve them.