Barcelona has secured a spot in the Copa del Rey final for the first time in three seasons after defeating Atletico Madrid. Under Hansi Flick’s management, the team will face Real Madrid in the final on April 26.
On Wednesday night (April 2), at Madrid's Wanda Metropolitano, Barcelona edged past Atletico with a 1-0 win in the second leg of the semifinal, sealing a 5-4 aggregate victory.
From the start, Barcelona dominated the attack. They registered 15 shots, with five on target, while Atletico failed to get a single shot on goal from their six attempts.
In the sixth minute, Atletico defender César Azpilicueta brought down Raphinha from behind, earning a yellow card. After a VAR review, the referee upheld his decision. Atletico coach Diego Simeone also received a yellow card for protesting.
Despite creating multiple chances, Barcelona struggled to convert early on. Lamine Yamal and Jules Koundé both missed the target. However, in the 27th minute, Yamal delivered a precise pass into the box, allowing Ferran Torres—who started in place of Robert Lewandowski—to slot the ball past the advancing goalkeeper with his first touch.
Barcelona nearly doubled their lead shortly after, but Raphinha's shot was blocked, and Yamal sent his attempt off-target. In the 39th minute, Raphinha was denied again when his angled shot was saved by Atletico goalkeeper Juan Musso. By halftime, Barcelona had taken 10 shots, two of which were on target, while Atletico had managed just one attempt.
Atletico made three substitutions at the start of the second half. One of them, Alexander Sørloth, got a golden opportunity in the 52nd minute but failed to hit the target one-on-one. Three minutes later, Fermín López set up Raphinha for a shot inside the box, but the goalkeeper saved it.
In the 69th minute, Sørloth found the net for Atletico, but the goal was disallowed for offside. In the 74th minute, Robert Lewandowski, who came on as a substitute, tested the goalkeeper but couldn't score.
Both teams continued attacking, but the score remained unchanged. With the final whistle, Barcelona celebrated their hard-fought victory and secured a place in the final.
