Barcelona and Atletico Madrid play out an eight-goal Copa del Rey thriller.
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid play out a thrilling 4-4 draw in Copa del Rey semifinal first leg.
In a dramatic clash at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Catalonia, both teams staged remarkable comebacks, with Atletico Madrid scoring twice in the opening six minutes, only for Barcelona to respond with four unanswered goals. Atletico then fought back in the final 10 minutes, with substitute Alexander Sorloth netting the equalizer three minutes into stoppage time on Tuesday.
Julian Alvarez struck in the first minute for Atletico, followed by Antoine Griezmann in the sixth, but Barcelona hit back quickly with goals from Pedri and Pau Cubarsí by the 21st minute. Iñigo Martínez gave the hosts a 3-2 halftime lead before Robert Lewandowski extended it in the 74th. However, Atletico’s late surge saw Marcos Llorente score in the 84th before Sorloth’s last-gasp leveller.
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, who meet in their first leg on Wednesday.
Barcelona last lifted the Copa del Rey in 2021, while Atletico’s most recent triumph came in 2013. The sides last met in LaLiga in December, with Atletico claiming a 2-1 victory.
Until the semifinals, the Copa del Rey followed a single-elimination format.
