Barcelona and Atletico Madrid produced a spectacular 4-4 draw in a dramatic first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals, with both sides squandering two-goal leads in a pulsating encounter on Tuesday.
Atletico made a blistering start, racing into a 2-0 lead within the opening six minutes at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. Julián Álvarez struck in the first minute, followed by Antoine Griezmann’s goal soon after.
However, Barcelona responded emphatically, restoring parity by the 21st minute through quickfire goals from Pedri and Pau Cubarsí.
The Catalans took the lead before the interval when Iñigo Martínez scored in the 41st minute. Robert Lewandowski further extended Barcelona’s advantage in the 74th, seemingly putting them in control.
Yet, Atletico mounted a remarkable late comeback, with Marcos Llorente reducing the deficit in the 84th before substitute Alexander Sorloth levelled proceedings in stoppage time.
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“It’s the worst result after we were up 4-2,” Barcelona playmaker Pedri lamented. “It had already happened in the league and again now. We have to be more careful, we have to learn to keep it from happening.”
Atletico had previously defeated Barcelona 2-1 in December’s La Liga encounter, with Sorloth netting a late winner. His stoppage-time equaliser on Tuesday ensured Atletico remained firmly in contention ahead of the return leg.
“We never give up,” declared Atletico forward Julián Álvarez. “We always keep our heads up, believing that we can come back. That’s what we always do. We played a great match but there are still 90 minutes left.”
The second leg will take place at Atletico’s Metropolitano Stadium in April, with the winner set to face either Real Madrid or Real Sociedad in the final. Real Madrid and Sociedad are scheduled to meet in their semi-final first leg on Wednesday in Basque Country.
Barcelona last won the Copa del Rey in 2021, while Atletico’s most recent triumph came in 2013. The two sides are also set to meet in a crucial La Liga fixture on 16 March in Madrid.
Meanwhile, Spanish media reported that a supporter was detained following altercations between Barcelona fans and local police.
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