Atletico Madrid Thrashes Barcelona in Copa del Rey Semifinal First Leg

Alanbatnews -

Atletico Madrid delivered a resounding 4-0 victory over Barcelona in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal on Thursday, leaving the defending champions with a daunting task in the return fixture.

Atletico capitalized on an early error and exploited Barcelona's defensive vulnerabilities to secure a commanding lead ahead of the final, scheduled for April in Seville.

The home side broke the deadlock in the sixth minute in unusual circumstances. Barcelona defender Eric Garcia's back pass eluded goalkeeper Juan Garcia and rolled into the net.

Atletico doubled their advantage eight minutes later following a sweeping move. Ademola Lookman received a long pass on the left and passed to Julian Alvarez, who in turn found Nauel Molina. The right-back's intelligent pass reached Antoine Griezmann, who controlled the ball deftly and slotted it into the bottom corner.

Atletico's third goal arrived in the 33rd minute, stemming from another swift counter-attack. Giuliano Simeone surged down the right flank and delivered a low cross to Alvarez, who teed up an unmarked Lookman to score.

Barcelona coach Hans Flick responded by introducing Robert Lewandowski in place of Marc Casado in the 37th minute, but the change failed to stem Atletico's momentum. Atletico added a fourth goal before halftime thanks to a combination between Lookman and Alvarez. The Englishman crossed for the Argentinian, who fired into the top corner from inside the penalty area.

Barcelona dominated possession with 70% in the first half. Atletico's incisive counter-attacks proved decisive.

Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Juan Musso denied Fermin Lopez early in the second half as Barcelona sought a glimmer of hope ahead of the return leg on March 3.

Barcelona thought they had reduced the deficit in the 52nd minute when Pau Cubarsi scored from a rebound following a free-kick. However, the goal was disallowed for offside after a lengthy VAR review lasting almost six minutes.

Atletico remained dangerous and nearly added a fifth goal in the 86th minute when substitute Alex Baena was through on goal before Garcia fouled him from behind. The referee initially showed a yellow card but upgraded it to a straight red card after reviewing the incident on VAR.

Defender Marcos Llorente told Movistar Plus, "It was crazy, especially against Barcelona." He added, "The team did everything perfectly. We were solid in defense, didn't back down, pressed high up the pitch, and managed the spaces very well. Everything went our way."

The winner of the tie will face either Real Sociedad or Athletic Bilbao in the final. Sociedad won the first leg 1-0, with the return leg to be played in San Sebastian on March 4.