Pokhara, 13 February | Atletico Madrid secured a commanding 4-0 victory over Barcelona in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal on Thursday, leaving the Catalan giants on the brink of elimination. Played at the Civitas Metropolitano, the home side delivered a clinical first-half performance, scoring four goals to dismantle a struggling Barcelona defense. The visitors’ night started disastrously in the 7th minute when defender Eric Garcia scored an own goal while attempting a back-pass to his goalkeeper. Atletico capitalized on this momentum as Antoine Griezmann doubled the lead in the 14th minute, followed by a third from Ademola Lookman in the 33rd minute. Julian Alvarez added a fourth in the first-half stoppage time, effectively sealing the game before the break.
Barcelona’s attempts to mount a comeback in the second half were thwarted by a resolute Atletico defense and technology. A goal by Pau Cubarsi in the 52nd minute was ruled out for offside following a lengthy VAR review that lasted nearly eight minutes. To compound Barcelona’s misery, Eric Garcia was shown a straight red card in the 85th minute for a professional foul on Alex Baena, leaving the Blaugrana to finish the match with ten men. Garcia became the first Barcelona player in decades to commit an own goal and receive a red card in the same match. Atletico now head to the second leg at the Spotify Camp Nou on March 3 with a massive four-goal advantage, while Hansi Flick’s side faces the monumental task of overturning the deficit to reach the final.
