Atlético Madrid fend off Barcelona rally to reach Copa final Barcelona faced an uphill battle in their Copa del Rey semifinal second-leg clash against Atlético Madrid at Camp Nou, ultimately falling 3-0 in the match but advancing 4-3 on aggregate. The hosts entered the game trailing 4-0 from the first leg and struggled to match Atlético’s resilience, though they mounted a late push to level the tie. Despite the defeat, Barcelona’s efforts earned praise from coach Hansi Flick, who called the performance “disappointing but proud.” The match began with Barcelona showing promise, but their momentum was disrupted when Jules Kounde suffered an injury in the 13th minute. Moments later, Raphinha came close with a low strike that missed the near post, and Ferran Torres wasted a chance by firing wide. Lamine Yamal’s cross was deflected to Torres, who struck just over the crossbar, while Juan Musso pushed Yamal’s long-range effort wide. Atlético’s goalkeeper, Musso, later denied Antoine Griezmann with a save, keeping the visitors in the game. Barcelona took the lead in the 29th minute when Yamal delivered a low cross into the six-yard box, and Marc Bernal guided the ball home with a first-time finish. Raphinha extended the lead in the 45th minute after being awarded a penalty for a foul on Pedri. He converted the spot kick in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time, giving Barça a 2-0 advantage at halftime. Atlético responded with renewed determination, with Griezmann hitting the woodwork and Ademola Lookman heading wide from Marcos Llorente’s corner. In the second half, Julian Álvarez forced a low save from goalkeeper Joan Garcia, and Musso made a crucial stop from Raphinha’s free kick. Despite Bernal and Raphinha forcing double saves from Musso, Atlético held firm.#barcelona #atltico_madrid #copa_del_rey #jules_kounde #hansi_flick
