Barcelona Faces Setback Against Atletico in Copa del Rey Semi-Final

omidbasir- Barcelona has demonstrated remarkable performance this season under the leadership of Hansi Flick, currently leading La Liga, advancing to the Champions League knockout stages, and claiming the Spanish Super Cup against Real Madrid in January. However, their aspirations to retain the Copa del Rey were significantly hindered on Thursday night when they suffered a 4-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the semi-final.

Atletico Madrid, managed by Diego Simeone, effectively capitalized on Flick’s high defensive line, exposing vulnerabilities in Barcelona’s style of play. The match was further complicated by the disallowance of a goal by Pau Cubarsi after an eight-minute VAR review, which ruled the goal offside. Additionally, Eric Garcia’s late dismissal left Barcelona to finish the match with ten players.

The aftermath of the defeat prompted introspection among the team, as reported by The Athletic. Flick expressed concerns regarding the players’ mentality and intensity, while players voiced their apprehensions about the coach’s tactics. They felt that the high line employed was ill-suited given the absence of key players such as Raphinha and Pedri, both sidelined due to injuries. Although the team is not inclined to abandon Flick’s approach, they are advocating for a more pragmatic strategy during critical matches and in light of player availability.

Post-match, Flick acknowledged the lessons learned from Atletico’s performance, stating, “We didn’t play well as a team in the first half; there was too much distance between the players, and we didn’t implement our pressing strategy effectively. The first 45 minutes served as a valuable lesson. I remain proud of my team’s resilience throughout the season, despite the injuries we’ve faced. Today was a tough loss, but we will regroup and strive to improve from the outset of our games. We need to exhibit more determination from the first minute. We will fight for a better outcome in the second leg and hope to have the support of our fans at Camp Nou.”

Barcelona was notably frustrated by the decision to disallow Cubarsi’s goal, which could have provided a glimmer of hope in the match. The lengthy VAR delay was attributed to issues with semi-automated offside technology, necessitating manual line drawing by VAR officials. Midfielder Frenkie de Jong openly criticized the process, stating, “In the offside image, the moment of contact with the ball during Fermin’s shot is indistinguishable. Later, another image emerged showing the defender was clearly behind Lewandowski. This situation is perplexing and unacceptable.”

With the second leg scheduled for March 3, Flick has a crucial window to recover his injured players. Meanwhile, he aims to witness a strong response from his squad as they resume their title challenge against Girona on Monday.