Barcelona defeated Atletico Madrid to secure a spot in the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid.
Barcelona will meet Real Madrid in an El Clasico Copa del Rey final after defeating Atletico Madrid 5-4 on aggregate.
Barcelona triumphed 1-0 at Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, securing their first Copa del Rey final appearance in four years. This victory came after a 4-4 draw in the first leg in Barcelona back in February.
Ferran Torres netted the decisive goal in the 27th minute, converting a perfectly placed through ball from Lamine Yamal. Atletico’s Alexander Sorloth had a goal ruled out for offside in the 69th minute, as the hosts were left to rue their missed opportunities.
Madrid also progressed with a 5-4 aggregate win over Real Sociedad, after an extra-time thriller, setting up a final showdown with Barcelona on April 26 in Seville. This will be the first Copa del Rey final between the two giants since the 2013-14 season, when Madrid claimed the trophy.
For Atletico, the elimination marked yet another disappointing home defeat, after they were knocked out of the Champions League by Madrid on penalties last month.
Barcelona, with 31 Copa del Rey titles to their name, last reached the final in 2021 when they beat Athletic Bilbao. Madrid, meanwhile, are in their second final in three years, having won their 20th Copa del Rey title last year against Osasuna.
The upcoming final will also be the third Clasico of the season. Barcelona won 4-0 in La Liga in October and triumphed 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final in January. The two clubs could also face off in the Champions League later this year.
Atletico, meanwhile, was hoping to reach their first Copa del Rey final since 2013, when they defeated Real Madrid to claim their 10th title.
