Atletico Madrid squandered a two-goal lead but managed to fight back from two goals down to secure a thrilling 4-4 draw with Barcelona in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on Tuesday.
Diego Simeone’s team got off to a flying start, scoring twice in the opening six minutes through Julian Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann. However, Barcelona quickly found their rhythm, with Pedri Gonzalez pulling one back, followed by goals from Pau Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, and Robert Lewandowski, giving the Catalans a 4-2 lead.
Marcos Llorente then netted for Atletico, and Alexander Sorloth struck in the 93rd minute, leaving the tie on a 4-4 balance ahead of the return leg at the Metropolitano Stadium on April 2.
Simeone praised his team’s determination, highlighting the crucial role of his substitutes, as they have done throughout the season.
“We showed immense competitive spirit,” said the Atletico coach. “The changes revitalized the team. It wasn’t an easy game to play, and I loved the spirit the players exhibited. As the minutes went by, the team grew more comfortable.”
Meanwhile, Hansi Flick, Barcelona’s coach, left star striker Robert Lewandowski out of the starting lineup, with Ferran Torres assuming the false nine role instead. Simeone, in contrast, opted for a strong squad despite facing a demanding fixture list, with this match being the first of three encounters against Barcelona and a Champions League last-16 tie against Real Madrid looming.
Flick expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance but disappointment with the final score.
“We are really disappointed with the result, but the game we played today was excellent; that’s my main focus,” Flick told reporters. “We need to discuss the goals conceded; they were perhaps too easy for Atletico, but we played against a fantastic team… we dominated for 75 to 80 minutes.”
On Wednesday, Real Madrid will visit Real Sociedad in the other semi-final first leg.
