Barcelona fell just short in their efforts to overturn a 4-0 aggregate deficit in the Copa del Rey semi-finals, defeating Atletico Madrid 3-0 in the second leg.
A double from Marc Bernal and a Raphinha penalty gave Hansi Flick’s side hope that they could complete the comeback, though Atletico were able to hold on to reach their first Copa del Rey final since 2013.
The result ends of Barcelona’s quest to retain the trophy, after beating rivals Real Madrid 3-2 in the final last year. A treble still remains a possibility, after winning the Spanish Super Cup in January and qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League, where they will take on Newcastle United.
It was a much improved performance from Barca after they found themselves trailing by four goals at half-time in the first leg on February 12.
Midfielder Bernal opened the scoring in the 29th minute, tapping home a low cross from Lamine Yamal after the Spain winger found space on the left-hand side following a short corner.
Atletico then missed a chance to equalise through Ademola Lookman before Pedri was brought down in the penalty area by former Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet, with Raphinha converting the resulting spot-kick.
Flick’s team persisted after the break, pressing high and eventually finding a third goal when Bernal poked home from a Joao Cancelo cross. They remained in control throughout the the final minutes though Diego Simeone’s side held firm in the closing stages with several players behind the ball.
Atletico will play either Real Sociedad or Athletic Club in the final. Real Sociedad defeated their rivals 1-0 in their first leg.
A monumental effort
It seems that the more challenging the situation, the more Barcelona enjoy it.
Coming back from 4-0 down seemed impossible for any team, but even so, the most common sentiment around the stadium before the game was: “What if?” The week before, in the dressing room, there was faith, a conviction that it would be difficult but that if any team was capable of doing it, it was Barca.
They were so convinced, that not even the obstacles they faced in the game could dampen their spirits. They gave the renovated Camp Nou the best game to date.
Jules Kounde was injured in the 12th minute, Alejandro Balde came on in his place, and halfway through the second half, he was also injured. Pedri, who had not yet played a full game since returning from injury, was practically limping in the final minutes.
Marc Bernal scored in the first half and barely celebrated. Before half-time, Raphinha scored the second goal, and they went straight to the locker room to listen to the tactical talk. With a 2-0 lead at halftime, Flick’s plan was working. In the second half, Bernal scored again, and everyone seemed convinced that they were going to pull it off. The challenge was enormous, and they only just fell short.
Barcelona were intense, pressed all game and gave their all for 90 minutes. The fans ended up applauding their team proudly despite being eliminated; a rare sight for the Camp Nou.
