Atletico’s torture of Barca in four acts – defending champions humiliated in Madrid

No team has done something like this to Barcelona in a long time, as Atletico Madrid did tonight. Four goals in the net, four balls pulled out of the goal,and it could have been even more. Still, it seemed as if the team from capital city eased off and stopped at four. Now we just have to watch the second leg and see who will reach the final.

The game started with early drama. In the 4th minute, Joan Garcia made a crucial one-on-one save to deny Giuliano Simeone after Antoine Griezmann slipped him through, but just three minutes later the Barcelona goalkeeper was involved in a disastrous moment. Eric Garcia’s back pass bounced awkwardly, Joan Garcia misjudged it, and the ball rolled into his own net despite his desperate attempt to recover, handing Atletico an early 1–0 lead.

Atletico doubled their advantage in the 14th minute through Griezmann, who created space inside the box and curled a precise low shot into the far corner. Barcelona protested for a potential offside in the buildup, but the goal was upheld after the referee’s review.

Barca had their best chance in the 20th minute when Fermin Lopez acrobatically headed Olmo’s corner against the crossbar, but Atletico remained the more dangerous side. In the 23rd minute, Nahuel Molina broke through again and pulled the ball back for Julian Alvarez, only for a last-ditch clearance on the line to keep the scoreline unchanged.

The hosts continued to carve through Barcelona’s defense with ease. Simeone and Griezmann combined again in the 30th minute, although Griezmann’s shot flew over the bar. Their persistence paid off in the 33rd minute, when Giuliano Simeone squared for Lookman, who finished low into the far corner after a slick passing move.

Barcelona tried to respond through Eric Garcia and Fermin Lopez, but Musso denied the latter with a strong save. Atletico had the final word before halftime, scoring a fourth in stoppage time. Another ball in behind found Giuliano Simeone, whose cross was laid off for Julian Alvarez, and the Argentine smashed a powerful right-footed shot past Joan Garcia to cap a devastating first half for Diego Simeone’s side.

The second half saw Barcelona attempt to mount a response, but Atletico Madrid’s defensive discipline and key moments kept them firmly in control at the Metropolitano.

Barcelona started the half with more urgency and came close in the 48th minute, when Fermin Lopez found space at the edge of the area, but his well-struck effort was denied by an excellent save from the Argentine goalkeeper.

The visitors thought they had pulled a goal back four minutes later. Lamine Yamal played a short free kick to Fermin, whose shot caused chaos in the Atletico box before Pau Cubarsi poked the ball into the net.

However, what followed was a lengthy and tense VAR review that lasted more than five minutes, with officials scrutinising Robert Lewandowski’s position in the build-up. After the prolonged delay, the goal was ultimately ruled out for offside, much to Barcelona’s frustration.

Atletico remained dangerous on the counter, and in the 61st minute Joan Garcia had to be alert to tip away a deflected shot from Ruggeri that had taken a wicked touch off Eric Garcia.

Late in the game, Barcelona’s night went from bad to worse. In the 85th minute, VAR intervened again to review a challenge involving Eric Garcia. After consulting the monitor, the referee awarded a foul and showed the Barcelona defender a straight red card, forcing the visitors to finish the match with ten men.

COPA DEL REY - SEMIFINALS

Atl. Bilbao - Real Sociedad 0-1 (0-0)

/Turrientes 62/

Atletico Madrid - Barcelona 4-0 (4-0)

/Garcia 6 og, Griezmann 14, Lookman 33, Alvarez 45+2/