Atlético Madrid Dominates Barcelona in Copa del Rey Semifinal

omidbasir- Barcelona’s coach Hansi Flick acknowledged that his team was thoroughly outplayed by Atlético Madrid, suffering a significant 4-0 defeat at the Metropolitano Stadium on Thursday in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal.

The match saw an explosive first half, beginning with an own goal from Eric García, followed by strikes from Antoine Griezmann, Ademola Lookman, and Julián Álvarez, culminating in a dominant performance by Atlético.

The second leg is scheduled to take place at Spotify Camp Nou on March 3, with the victorious team set to face either Real Sociedad or Athletic Club in the final.

“We did not perform well as a team in the first half,” Flick stated during the post-match press conference. “There was too much distance between our players, and we failed to press as effectively as we wanted.

“In those first 45 minutes, we received a lesson. Sometimes, such moments are necessary, and perhaps today was the right time for it.

“I remain proud of my team, though perhaps not for the first half of this match. Throughout the season, we have dealt with numerous injuries and have adapted well. Although today’s loss was heavy, I am proud of how far we have come.

“We will bounce back. It is crucial that we start games more effectively. When observing Atlético’s players, they exhibited greater will and hunger, which is what I expect from the very first minute. We did not demonstrate that in the first half.

“We still have the second leg to fight for. If we can win each half 2-0, that is our goal. We will need our fans at Camp Nou, and we will see what unfolds.”

The tone for the match was set when García’s back pass faltered, allowing Atlético to launch an early offensive. Griezmann finished off a well-coordinated team move in the 14th minute, Lookman scored his second goal for the club in the 30th minute, and Álvarez broke his 11-game scoring drought with a fourth goal during first-half stoppage time.

Following the interval, Barça improved and thought they had pulled one back in the 51st minute, only for a Pau Cubarsí goal to be disallowed for offside after a lengthy review that took over six minutes.

This decision visibly frustrated Flick, who openly criticized the officiating, asserting that the officials had been too lenient with Atlético’s challenges early in the match and lamented the lengthy review process for the disallowed goal.

“What can I say? We begin with yellow cards, and in the first action with the foul on [Alejandro] Balde, that should have been a yellow card for sure,” Flick expressed.

“This could have changed the dynamics of the game. However, the referee’s leniency allowed them to play this way, which significantly altered the match flow.

“Regarding the disallowed goal, it was clearly a mistake. They took seven minutes to make a determination—did they truly find something in that time? It is frustrating. From my perspective, there was no offside. If they saw something different, they should communicate that. The lack of communication is unacceptable.”

The situation worsened for Barcelona when García received a red card for a last-man challenge on Álex Baena, leaving the team to finish the last five minutes, plus an additional ten minutes of stoppage time, with ten players.

As both teams prepare for La Liga matches, Barcelona, currently leading the league, will travel to Girona on Monday, while Atlético will face Rayo Vallecano away on Sunday.