Barcelona Eliminates Atletico and Sets Up Copa del Rey Final Against Real Madrid
Barcelona will face their arch-rivals Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final after overcoming Atletico Madrid with a 1-0 victory in the second leg of the semifinal at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid.
Following a thrilling 4-4 draw in the first leg in Barcelona, Ferran Torres’ goal in the 27th minute proved decisive, securing the Catalans’ spot in the final. Meanwhile, Real Madrid also struggled but managed to edge past Real Sociedad to book their place in the showdown.
The final is set for April 26 in Seville, adding another chapter to the historic rivalry between Spain’s two football giants. The two clubs are also locked in a fierce La Liga title race, with Barcelona leading by three points over the defending champions, Madrid, with nine rounds left in a season where both teams are chasing a treble.
Both clubs remain strong contenders for this historic achievement, having also reached the Champions League quarterfinals—Barcelona set to face Borussia Dortmund, while Real Madrid will take on Arsenal. A potential “Clásico” final in the European competition on May 31 in Munich is also on the horizon.
In the Copa del Rey, Barcelona will be making their 43rd final appearance, while Real Madrid, the tournament’s third-most successful team with 20 titles, has reached their 41st final. The two powerhouses have clashed seven times in the final, with Madrid winning four and Barcelona three. Barcelona, however, holds the record for the most Copa del Rey titles with 31.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid endured another bitter disappointment this season, following their Champions League quarterfinal exit at the hands of city rivals Real Madrid. Their hopes of salvaging the season are fading, as they trail Barcelona by nine points in La Liga.
Match Highlights
Barcelona secured a crucial victory at Atletico Madrid, repeating their success from three weeks ago when they overturned a 0-2 deficit in the 70th minute to win 4-2 in La Liga. That victory avenged their 2-1 home defeat to Diego Simeone’s men in December.
Ferran Torres netted the decisive goal after receiving a brilliant pass from Lamine Yamal behind the defense. Torres slotted the ball past Argentine goalkeeper Juan Musso in the 27th minute. Musso had earlier denied a powerful effort from Brazilian winger Raphinha, who was also set up by Yamal five minutes before halftime.
Atletico made a triple substitution at the start of the second half, bringing on Norwegian striker Alexander Sørloth. He nearly equalized after receiving a pass behind the defense from Rodrigo De Paul but fired narrowly wide of the right post in the 52nd minute.
Raphinha continued to miss opportunities, including a close-range effort after controlling a pass from Fermín López, only for Musso to save it before the defense cleared the ball for a corner (56’).
Sørloth later found the net after breaking through on goal and striking past the goalkeeper, but the goal was ruled out for offside (69’). In the closing moments, Atletico Madrid pushed aggressively for an equalizer but failed to significantly threaten Barcelona’s goal. The Catalans held firm, with Uruguayan defender Ronald Araújo making a crucial last-second clearance to deny an unmarked Sørloth inside the box (90+4).
