Barcelona, Atletico Madrid share eight goals in Copa de Rey thriller

IANS February 26, 2025 220 views

In a breathtaking Copa del Rey semifinal, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid played out an extraordinary 4-4 draw at Montjuic stadium. The match was a rollercoaster of emotions, with both teams trading goals and momentum throughout the 90 minutes. Standout performances from players like Lewandowski, Griezmann, and Pedri kept fans on the edge of their seats. The dramatic encounter concluded with a late equalizer, setting up an intriguing second leg of the semifinal.

"A match that epitomizes the unpredictable nature of Spanish football" - Anonymous Football Commentator
Barcelona, Feb 26: FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid played out a thrilling 4-4 draw in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal at Montjuic, featuring a dramatic back-and-forth scoring spree that kept fans on the edge of their seats.

Key Points

1

Barcelona and Atletico trade goals in dramatic 4-4 draw

2

Lewandowski and Griezmann feature in goal fest

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Late pitch invasion adds extra drama

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Montjuic witnesses spectacular semifinal encounter

Atletico took the lead after just 50 seconds when Antoine Griezmann's corner was flicked on for Julian Alvarez, who calmly slotted the ball home at the far post. Alvarez then turned provider in the eighth minute, slipping the ball to Griezmann, who capitalised on Barcelona's high defensive line to turn inside and score with his right foot.

The only fans in Montjuic making any noise were wearing Atletico shirts, but Barca should have been back into the game soon afterwards, only for Ferran Torres to fail to beat Juan Musso in the Atletico goal, reports Xinhua.

However, Barca found their rhythm as Pedri gave them a lifeline in the 19th minute, neatly finishing after brilliant work from Lamine Yamal and Jules Kounde. Just a minute later, Pau Cubarsi outjumped Pablo Barrios to nod in from a corner and level the match.

Ferran missed another opportunity, but Inigo Martinez then put Barcelona ahead by sneaking in unmarked to finish off another inswinging corner that Atletico failed to clear.

Atletico responded in the second half, looking to regain momentum, but in the 74th minute, Robert Lewandowski tapped in after a superb setup from Yamal, seemingly putting Barca in control.

Angel Correa gave Atletico more spark in attack and with seven minutes left, he pulled the ball back for Llorente to run onto a score with a powerful shot that took a slight deflection.

There were two minutes left when the game was halted as two children invaded the pitch, and Alexander Sorloth made it 4-4 soon afterwards following excellent work from Samuel Lino as Atletico's substitutions worked well, although Barcelona will be annoyed at losing concentration so late in the game.

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