Barcelona and Atlético Madrid Set Up Copa del Rey Thriller with 4-4 Draw

Atlético Madrid and Barcelona played out a thrilling 4-4 draw in the first leg of their Copa del Rey tie, setting up a mouth-watering second leg.

Atlético Madrid and Barcelona played out an unforgettable Copa del Rey encounter, with both teams surrendering two-goal leads to ultimately settle for a thrilling 4-4 draw in the first leg. This result sets the stage for a mouth-watering second leg, as Barcelona extended their unbeaten streak to 14 matches.

The match began at a blistering pace, with Atlético Madrid catching their hosts off guard to take the lead inside 50 seconds. Antoine Griezmann's cross into the box was expertly nodded to the back post by Clement Lenglet, where Julian Alvarez was waiting to prod the ball home. Alvarez then turned provider, winning the ball in the Barcelona half and embarking on a swift counterattack. He played a sublime through ball for Griezmann, who showcased his composure to fire past Wojciech Szczesny and double Atlético's advantage.

Barcelona, under the guidance of Hansi Flick, were visibly shaken and frustrated after conceding two goals in six minutes. However, their response was exemplary, as they gradually regained their composure and began to dictate the tempo of the match. This marked the beginning of an extraordinary comeback, as Barcelona sought to overturn the two-goal deficit and take control of the tie.

Barcelona's response to Atlético Madrid's early two-goal lead was swift and decisive. In the 19th minute, Pedri expertly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner after latching onto Jules Kounde's cutback. Less than two minutes later, the home side levelled the scoreline when Pau Cubarsi nodded home from Raphinha's corner at the far post.

All to be decided in the second leg at home ❤️🤍 pic.twitter.com/YEpvdxWzaE

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) February 25, 2025

Barcelona continued to dominate the first half, and their pressure paid off just minutes before the break. Raphinha's corner was met by Inigo Martinez, who headed the ball in at the far post to give Barcelona a 3-2 lead. This marked a remarkable turnaround for the hosts, who had trailed by two goals early in the match.

Atlético Madrid emerged from the halftime break with renewed energy and almost equalized within minutes of the restart. Rodrigo De Paul picked out Antoine Griezmann with a defence-splitting pass, but the Frenchman's effort was saved by Wojciech Szczesny. Lamine Yamal, who had been unusually quiet throughout the evening, thought he had earned a penalty just before the hour mark after being brought down in the box, but his appeals were waved away.

I am inevitable. pic.twitter.com/pMsax9rV8k

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 25, 2025

As the match entered its final stages, Atlético Madrid continued to threaten on the break against Barcelona's high defensive line. The visitors thought they had equalized midway through the second period when Angel Correa split the backline and sent Marcos Llorente in on goal. Llorente laid the ball off to Alexander Sorloth, who fired in, but the goal was chalked off for offside.

In a cruel twist of fate, Barcelona then went up the other end and notched a fourth goal. Lamine Yamal brilliantly dribbled through the Atlético Madrid defence and laid the ball on for substitute Robert Lewandowski to tap into an empty net. However, Atlético Madrid refused to give up, and Llorente drilled a finish into the far corner to set up a thrilling conclusion.

The scoring was not finished there, as Sorloth stunned the Barcelona faithful with a stoppage-time equaliser. This dramatic finale ensured that the two teams will head into the second leg on level terms, with the return match promising to be another mouth-watering encounter. Before that, however, the sides will face off again in LaLiga, which will undoubtedly be another fascinating contest.