Barça sowed doubts. But Atlético held on to make the Copa del Rey final

Madrid, Spain – For 70 minutes at Spotify Camp Nou on Tuesday night, FC Barcelona threw everything they had at Atlético Madrid, trimming a 4-0 first-leg deficit to a single goal and turning the Copa del Rey semifinal return leg into a knife-edge affair. When Raphinha slammed home a 45th-minute penalty to make it 2-0 on the night, the aggregate score stood at 4-3 and the roar inside the stadium suggested a historic remontada was minutes away.

It never came. A third Barcelona goal, bundled in with 19 minutes left, left the home side still one strike short of forcing extra time, and Atlético clung on for dear life to reach their first Copa del Rey final since 2013. The 3-0 defeat was just enough to see the Rojiblancos through 4-3 on aggregate, setting up an April 18 showdown against either Athletic Club or Real Sociedad.

The performance will not live long in the club’s hall of fame. Diego Simeone’s men arrived in Catalonia with a four-goal cushion but spent most of the evening on the back foot, retreating in passive banks rather than the compact blocks that have defined the Argentine’s best sides. Barça monopolised possession, out-shot their visitors 21-7 and, in 18-year-old Lamine Yamal, boasted the game’s outstanding individual. The winger finished with 14 completed dribbles and the opening assist for Marc Bernal’s close-range finish.

Atlético’s only genuine first-half opening fell to Ademola Lookman in stoppage time, but the Nigerian headed over. Within seconds Marc Pubill felled Pedri, Raphinha converted from the spot, and a tie that had felt comfortable at kick-off suddenly teetered.

Simeone’s side were technically still in front, yet every clearance was panicked and every counter fizzled out. When the third goal arrived, the travelling supporters feared the worst. Instead, goalkeeper Juan Musso produced a series of vital interventions – six saves in total, including a reaction double-stop later flagged for offside – to keep the margin at three and the aggregate lead intact.

At the other end Antoine Griezmann embodied the team’s graft. He managed only 48 touches, four more than Musso, yet created three chances, recovered possession nine times and tirelessly dropped deep to stem the tide. “With another 34-year-old Griezmann, Atlético score one. With a young Griezmann, they score three,” read one viral tweet after the final whistle. On this evidence, the Frenchman’s influence remains undimmed.

The manager admitted his nerves. “At 3-0 I kept saying, ‘esto es Atleti’,” Simeone revealed, referencing the club’s tradition of suffering. Suffer they did, but the prize is considerable: a first domestic cup final under the coach since the 2020 Supercopa and a first shot at Copa glory in 12 years.

Attention now shifts to a potentially chaotic spring. Both Spanish giants could meet again in the Champions League quarter-finals if Atlético overcome Tottenham and Barcelona see off Newcastle, with the second European leg pencilled in just days before the cup final. Simeone and opposite number Hansi Flick even joked about the prospect at full-time.

For now, however, Atlético will savour the relief of progression, however unconvincing. They have booked their place in the final. How they navigate the fixtures that surround it will decide whether a turbulent campaign ends with silverware.