Atletico Madrid routs Barcelona 4-0 to seize Copa del Rey semifinal first-leg control
Atletico Madrid overwhelmed Copa del Rey holder and La Liga leader Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg of their semifinal on Thursday, shredding a high defensive line with a furious first-half surge to take a commanding advantage into the March 3 return at the Camp Nou.
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An early own goal set the tone before Antoine Griezmann, Ademola Lookman and Julian Alvarez struck to cap a blistering opening 45 minutes. Diego Simeone’s side then managed the second half with authority, while Barcelona’s night unraveled further with a red card to Eric Garcia.
First-half onslaught silences Barcelona
Atletico announced their intent inside two minutes when Griezmann forced Joan Garcia into a save. Four minutes later, the home crowd roared as calamity struck the visitors: the Barcelona goalkeeper miscontrolled an Eric Garcia back pass, the ball slipping under his foot and across the line for 1-0.
Having found a route in behind, Atletico kept attacking the same seam. Nahuel Molina and Giuliano Simeone repeatedly burst down the right, and in the 15th minute another quick combination ended with Griezmann angling a left-footed finish into the far corner. It might have been three just moments later but Jules Kounde’s last-ditch block kept out Alvarez with Garcia beaten.
The respite was brief. On 33 minutes, Molina and Giuliano Simeone again broke Barcelona’s shape before Alvarez’s touch teed up Lookman to sweep home for 3-0. Hansi Flick reacted eight minutes before halftime, introducing Robert Lewandowski for Marc Casado in a bid to stabilize an overrun midfield. Fermin Lopez briefly tested Juan Musso, but Atletico finished the half as ruthlessly as it had begun: Alvarez thundered in a fourth on the stroke of halftime after another lightning transition.
VAR drama and a red card deepen the damage
Barcelona emerged from the break with more purpose. Lopez drew another save from Musso, and Pau Cubarsi thought he had pulled one back, only for a lengthy seven-minute VAR review to wipe the goal out for offside.
With the cushion secure, Atletico dropped deeper and absorbed pressure, content to counter when space appeared. Barcelona’s prospects dimmed further when Eric Garcia was sent off for bringing down Alex Baena as the last defender. Against 10 men, Alexander Sorloth should have made it five but failed to convert a late chance. The margin remained 4-0, emphatically tilting the tie toward Simeone’s side.
How Atletico got it so right
For 45 minutes, Atletico’s plan was near-perfect. The hosts sprang traps in midfield, then surged forward at speed to attack Barcelona’s back line before it could reset. Molina’s timing and delivery down the right, combined with Giuliano Simeone’s intelligent running, consistently unzipped the defense; Lookman’s direct threat on the opposite flank forced Barcelona to stretch horizontally, opening lanes for Griezmann and Alvarez to finish.
Barcelona, without the injured Raphinha and Marcus Rashford, pushed Dani Olmo and Lopez into advanced pockets to connect with the front line. But with Atletico’s countermeasures producing turnovers in dangerous areas, the visitors’ attempts to hold a high line turned into an invitation. Once chasing a multi-goal deficit, Barcelona’s risk profile spiked, and Atletico exploited the expanded channels with clinical precision.
What it means and what’s next
A 4-0 first-leg win puts Atletico within reach of the Copa del Rey final and saddles Barcelona with the need for a historic comeback at the Camp Nou on March 3. Atletico’s blend of early aggression, transitional ruthlessness and second-half game management delivered a statement performance at a critical stage of the season.
Barcelona will need early goals and near-perfect control in the return to inject jeopardy back into the tie. If Atletico scores once in Barcelona, the task becomes Everest-steep for Flick’s side.
In the other semifinal, played Wednesday, Real Sociedad won the first leg 1-0 away to Athletic Bilbao, setting up a tight second chapter in that Basque derby.
Key moments
- 2’ — Griezmann forces early save from Joan Garcia.
- 6’ — Own goal: Garcia miscontrols Eric Garcia’s back pass; ball rolls over the line for 1-0 Atletico.
- 15’ — 2-0: Molina and Giuliano Simeone combine; Griezmann finishes with an angled left-footed strike.
- 18’ — Kounde blocks Alvarez’s goal-bound effort with the keeper beaten.
- 33’ — 3-0: Alvarez’s touch lays it on for Lookman after another right-side break.
- 37’ — Flick brings on Lewandowski for Casado to stem the tide.
- 45’ — 4-0: Alvarez smashes in after a swift counter.
- 51’ — Musso saves from Lopez as Barcelona shows life after halftime.
- VAR — Pau Cubarsi’s goal is ruled out for offside after a seven-minute review.
- Second half — Eric Garcia sent off for denying Alex Baena a clear scoring chance.
- Late — Sorloth misses a gilt-edged chance to make it 5-0.
Second leg: March 3, Camp Nou — Barcelona must overturn a four-goal deficit to keep its Copa del Rey defense alive.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
Friday February 13, 2026
