Atletico Madrid's Copa del Rey Hopes Dashed by Barcelona's Dominant Display

Barcelona has advanced to the Copa del Rey final after a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid, who struggled to create scoring opportunities and have now lost five of their last six games.

Atletico Madrid was brimming with confidence ahead of the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Barcelona, with the prospect of facing arch-rivals Real Madrid in the final on the horizon. Despite a dismal run of five winless games, including a 2-4 loss to Barcelona in their previous home match on March 16 in LaLiga, Atletico had a strong record at the Metropolitano.

However, their optimism was short-lived, as Atletico Madrid suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Barcelona. The loss marked a rare occurrence for Los Colchoneros, who had not lost consecutive matches at the Metropolitano since December 2021. On that occasion, they fell to Milan (0-1) in the Champions League and Mallorca (1-2) in LaLiga.

Diego Simeone's team demonstrated their capability to secure the desired result, but they were also aware that to advance, they needed to contain the formidable goal-scoring machine that is Barcelona.

Prior to their midweek clash, Barcelona had already amassed an impressive 139 goals in all competitions, surpassing the tally of any other team in Europe's top five leagues by at least 20 goals. This underscored the significant challenge facing Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona's away form has been equally intimidating, with the team remaining unbeaten in their last 12 away matches, boasting an impressive record of nine wins and three draws. During this period, they have averaged an impressive 3.16 goals per game. Furthermore, Barcelona has been the team to defeat Diego Simeone the most times in all competitions, with 21 victories in 39 meetings, including wins in each of their last three encounters at the Metropolitano.

Barcelona Outmuscle Atletico Madrid

The second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid lived up to the expectations of an epic encounter, following a thrilling 4-4 draw in the first leg. The match was an intense, end-to-end affair that kept spectators on the edge of their seats.

The game got off to a fiery start, with a contentious challenge by Cesar Azpilicueta on Raphinha prompting the referee, Jose Luis Munuera Montero, to review the incident on the VAR monitor. After careful consideration, Munuera Montero stuck with his initial decision to award a yellow card, citing that Azpilicueta had hit Raphinha “not fully, laterally.”

Atletico Madrid's aggressive approach was evident in the three yellow cards they received within the first 12 minutes, with Azpilicueta, Rodrigo de Paul, and Diego Simeone all being cautioned. However, Barcelona were not shy about using strong-arm tactics themselves, committing 10 fouls in the first half, which exceeded their season average.

Interestingly, Barcelona won more tackles (10 out of 12) than Atletico Madrid (seven out of 13), suggesting that the visitors had successfully adapted to Atletico's physical style of play while also outplaying them. This tactical flexibility allowed Barcelona to gain the upper hand and ultimately secure a crucial victory.

In a stunning display of dominance, Barcelona controlled an astonishing 72.3% of possession in the first 15 minutes leading up to the half-hour mark, ultimately ending the match with 56.7% possession. This level of control is particularly impressive given that Atletico Madrid is not a team to be underestimated.

Barcelona's aggressive high-pressing strategy, a hallmark of Hansi Flick's coaching style, effectively stifled Atletico Madrid's ability to establish their natural rhythm, especially in the opening 45 minutes. The hosts struggled to cope with the visitors' relentless pressure, which ultimately paved the way for Ferran Torres to score the opening goal in the 26th minute.

The significance of Torres' goal cannot be overstated, as it marked the fifth time this season that Barcelona has scored first in the Copa del Rey, with a perfect record of three wins and no draws or losses in such matches. This statistic would have been well-known to Atletico Madrid, who have struggled historically when conceding the first goal, failing to win any of their last eight Copa del Rey matches when doing so, with their last such victory dating back to December 1, 2015.

Torres' goal was his fifth in this season's Copa del Rey, making him the top scorer in the competition. His inclusion in the starting lineup ahead of Robert Lewandowski was thus vindicated. The goal also highlighted Barcelona's potency in the first half, marking their 12th goal in the opening 45 minutes of their five Copa del Rey games this season. Conversely, Atletico Madrid has conceded four first-half goals in their five Copa del Rey matches, the most of any team in the competition.

Atletico Madrid's Struggles Continue

Atletico Madrid's dismal record when conceding the first goal in the Copa del Rey continued, with their last victory in such a scenario dating back to December 1, 2015, against Reus Deportiu. Ferran Torres' goal marked his fifth in the competition, solidifying his position as the top scorer. His inclusion in the starting lineup ahead of Robert Lewandowski was thus justified.

Barcelona's attacking prowess was on full display, with their 12th first-half goal in five Copa del Rey games this season. Conversely, Atletico Madrid's defensive vulnerabilities were exposed, with their fourth first-half goal conceded in five games being the most in their respective cup run.

Lamine Yamal's exceptional performance continued to set the standard, despite his young age. His assist to Ferran Torres marked his third in the Spanish cup this season, adding to his impressive tally of three goals and three assists in his last five games. Yamal's contribution was instrumental in Barcelona's dominance, as they effectively stifled Atletico Madrid's attempts to build momentum.

The normally reliable Marcos Llorente had a subdued game, managing only nine touches of the ball before halftime. Although he improved to 51 touches by the end of the game, with a pass completion rate of 86.2%, his overall performance was lackluster. Notably, Llorente, who takes pride in supporting the attack, managed only a single touch in the opposition box, a woefully inadequate display.

The hosts' inability to create meaningful scoring opportunities was evident in their dismal dribbling statistics, with only four completed dribbles from 12 attempts. This lackluster performance would have surely disappointed the fans who had high hopes of seeing their team advance to the final. Furthermore, Atletico Madrid's wayward shooting meant that even when they did manage to create chances, they were unable to capitalize on them.

Atletico Madrid's struggles in front of goal were exemplified by the fact that their last Copa del Rey game without a single shot on target dated back to the 2014/2015 season. In contrast, Barcelona has now scored in their last eight Spanish cup games, marking their longest scoring streak in the competition since a similar eight-game run from March 3, 2021, to March 2, 2023.

Interestingly, both teams recorded their lowest total shots in the game, with Atletico Madrid managing only six shots and Barcelona taking 15 shots, nine of which came from Lamine Yamal (four) and Raphinha (five). Barcelona's victory extended their unbeaten run in 2025, while Atletico Madrid's recent slump continued, with five losses in their last six games, following a 26-game stretch with only one defeat.

In a curious coincidence, the Copa del Rey semi-finals saw a peculiar pattern emerge, with one semi-final leg ending 4-4 and the second 1-0 (Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona), while the other semi-final (Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad) witnessed a 1-0 win in the first leg and a 4-4 draw in the second.