The Copa del Rey tie between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid across its two legs was almost a study in contrasts. The first leg, played in Madrid on February 12th, saw Atlético tear apart a Barcelona side missing Raphinha, Pedri and Marcus Rashford, scoring four times in the first half alone through an Eric García own goal, Antoine Griezmann, Ademola Lookman and Julián Álvarez. It was a humiliation.
The second leg, at Camp Nou on March 3rd, was nearly the opposite. Barcelona came out at blistering intensity, pressing relentlessly and with all their major stars available, determined to do what had never quite been done before in a tie at this stage with such a deficit. For long stretches, it felt entirely plausible.
Hansi Flick’s side were immediately handed a blow when Jules Koundé went off injured inside the 13th minute, but they barely broke stride. Marc Bernal opened the scoring in the 29th minute, latching onto a precise Lamine Yamal cross into the six-yard box and guiding the ball home first time. Yamal was exceptional throughout — creative, direct and relentless in his movement between the lines.
A pivotal moment arrived early in first-half stoppage time. Pedri was brought down in the box by Marc Pubill, and Raphinha converted from the spot to make it 2-0 at the break. At that stage the aggregate stood at 4-2, and the idea of Barcelona getting two more in the second half suddenly felt genuinely possible rather than fanciful. “We knew it was going to be a tough match, it’s not easy to overcome a 4-0 defeat,” Raphinha said after the game.
Diego Simeone had set Atlético up in a 5-4-1, with Giuliano Simeone operating as a wingback — a structure designed entirely around limiting exposure and protecting the lead. It worked, but only just. In the opening stages of the second half, Barcelona absolutely blitzed their opponents, and that is when goalkeeper Juan Musso became the central figure in the tie.
Musso made a series of crucial interventions before the hour mark, denying Barcelona on multiple occasions when a goal at that point might have opened the floodgates. That sequence remains the defining tactical battle of the second leg — whether the third goal would arrive early enough to truly ignite the tie.
It eventually came in the 72nd minute, Bernal completing his brace by converting a cross from Joao Cancelo on the right. At 3-0, the aggregate read 4-3, and the final 18 minutes became something of a siege. Hansi Flick even threw Ronald Araújo forward in an emergency striker role in a desperate attempt to find a fourth, but Atlético held on.
Atlético advance to their first Copa del Rey final since 2013, where they will face Athletic Bilbao or Real Sociedad on April 18th. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick acknowledged the quality of his team’s performance even in defeat. “We can be very proud,” he said. Raphinha echoed the sentiment: “I leave proud, now on to the league and the Champions League.” Barcelona remain top of La Liga and will now redirect their full focus toward the title and European campaign.
For Atlético, this is a significant achievement in a season where La Liga has largely passed them by. Reaching a cup final on the back of two aggressive, tactically distinct performances — one brutally effective, one grimly resilient — is exactly what Simeone’s teams do best.
