Madrid: Atlético Madrid produced a ruthless first-half display to thrash Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal at the Metropolitano Stadium in Thursday, leaving the LaLiga leaders with a mountain to climb in the return fixture.
The contest was effectively decided inside a disastrous opening 45 minutes for Barcelona, who conceded four times before the break. The nightmare began in the seventh minute when goalkeeper Joan García failed to control a routine back pass from Eric García. The ball slipped under his foot outside the six-yard box and crossed the line despite his desperate attempt to claw it back, gifting Atlético the opener.
Antoine Griezmann doubled the advantage in the 14th minute, sweeping home a flowing move against his former club. Ademola Lookman struck the third in the 33rd minute after a slick attacking sequence involving Julián Álvarez, who then added a fourth in first-half stoppage time, finishing off a cutback from Lookman.
Barcelona had moments of resistance. Fermín López rattled the crossbar with a volley in the 19th minute, while Jules Koundé cleared an Álvarez effort off the line. However, Atlético’s attacking trio repeatedly tore through the visitors’ defence.
Early in the second half, Barcelona thought they had pulled one back when Pau Cubarsí fired home following a free kick. But after an eight-minute VAR review, the goal was ruled out for offside, compounding their frustration.
The evening worsened in the 85th minute when Eric García, initially booked for a rash challenge on Álex Baena, saw his yellow card upgraded to a red after a VAR intervention. Tempers flared on the touchline before order was restored.
Late substitute Ferran Torres headed wide from a corner as Barcelona’s forgettable night ended without consolation.
With a commanding 4-0 aggregate lead, Atlético Madrid now head into the second leg firmly in control, while Barcelona face an uphill battle to keep their cup hopes alive.
Source: ESPN
Discussion about this post