The Copa del Rey heats up with a semifinal that feels like an early final: at the Metropolitano Stadium, Diego Simeoneâs AtlĂ©tico Madrid hosts Hansi Flickâs Barcelona for the first leg of the semifinal.
The Colchoneros arrive at this stage after eliminating Deportivo La Coruna and Real Betis, whom they thrashed 5-0. In the league, theyâre third but far from the top spot, which is currently held by the Blaugrana, and see the cup as the most concrete opportunity to give meaning to their season.
Barcelonaâs journey has been different: theyâre flying high in La Liga and have reached the Top 8 in the Champions League, avoiding the playoffs. In the Copa del Rey, the Catalans have overcome Racing, Albacete (who knocked out Real Madrid), and come into the semifinal boasting an extraordinary run: 17 wins in their last 18 official matches.
Last year, also in the semifinals, it ended 5-4 on aggregate for Barça after a thrilling 4-4 in Madrid and a return-leg win sealed by Ferran Torres. The second leg is scheduled for March 3.
With Real Madrid already eliminated from the other side of the bracket, the clash at the Metropolitano represents a huge opportunity for both teams. The first act took place yesterday with the Basque derby between Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad, won by the Biancazzurri thanks to a goal from Turrientes.
đž 7-MINUTE VAR CHECK: Barça Goal DISALLOWED â
CubarsÏ scores⊠or maybe not! Barcelona tries to get back into the game with a goal from the defender, who beats Musso from close range.
But VAR disallows it, after an excruciating wait.
After a 7-minute check, the referee cancels the goal: Lewandowskiâs position, as he touches the ball before his teammate, is offside.
đ± Barça 0-4 at Half-Time after 73 Years
Barcelona is trailing 4-0 at half-time for the first time since 1953.
The last time the Blaugrana were four goals behind at the break was in the 1953/54 ClĂĄsico. And it hadnât happened against AtlĂ©tico since the 1949/50 season.
A disastrous night so far for Barcelona. The Blaugrana have conceded four goals in the first half for only the second time since the 2004/05 season.
The other occasion was in the Champions League quarterfinals in August 2020, against Bayern Munich.
đ Atletico âMARVELâ, Four Goals in 45â: Julian Scores đ
The Colchonerosâ monologue at the Metropolitano continues, as does the nightmare for Barcelona.
In first-half stoppage time, Atletico Madrid makes it 4-0 with Julian Alvarezâs return to scoring: a shot from the edge of the box finds the top corner for the former Manchester City player, who hadnât scored since December 9 in the Champions League and nets his first goal of 2026.
đ Flick Substitution: CasadĂČ Out, Lewandowski In
Hansi Flick tries to shake up Barcelona and opts for a substitution already in the first half.
In the 39th minute, Marc CasadĂČ, who had previously been booked, makes way for Lewandowski.
The German coach hugs the midfielder and has a brief, intense conversation with him, probably explaining the reason for the decision.
𧚠Lookman SHOW, Atleticoâs Third
Atletico Madrid keeps pressing and finds their third goal in the 33rd minute of the first half.
The move is started by Giuliano Simeone, who sets up Alvarez.
The pass to Lookman is brilliant: the Nigerian opens up his foot and scores diagonally to make it 3-0.
Fermin Hits the Bar â KoundĂ© CLEARS off the LINE đČ
Non-stop drama in Madrid! In the 20th minute, Olmo delivers directly from a corner to Fermin, whose header hits the crossbar.
Simeoneâs Atleti responds immediately: Molina outsmarts Barcelonaâs defense and sets up Alvarez, who shoots first time.
KoundĂ©âs intervention on the line is crucial, saving at the last moment.
Own Goal đ± Eric Garcia +Grizou: SHOCK Start for Barça â
The Civitas Metropolitano clash heats up in just a few minutes: by the 14th minute, Atletico is already 2-0 up.
The deadlock is broken by a sensational own goal from Joan Garcia: the Barcelona goalkeeper lets an Eric Garcia back pass slip under his foot.
Lookman scores the tap-in, but the ball had already crossed the line.
Just before the quarter-hour mark, the Colchoneros double their lead: Musso launches for Lookman, Koke spreads to the right for Simeone, who finds Griezmannâs run into the box.
The Frenchman opens up his foot and sends the ball to the far post.
â The Official Lineups
ATLETICO MADRID (4-4-2): Musso; Molina, Pubil, Hancko, Ruggeri, G. Simeone, Llorente, Koke, Lookman, Griezmann, Alvarez. Coach: Simeone
BARCELONA (4-3-3): Garcia, Kounde, CubarsĂŹ, E. Garcia, Balde, Casado, De Jong, FermĂŹn, Yamal, Ferran Torres, Olmo. Coach: Flick
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in đźđč here.