Atletico Madrid advances to Copa del Rey final after 3-0 loss at Barcelona

Atletico Madrid Advances to Copa del Rey Final with 4-3 Aggregate Victory

Atletico Madrid has reached the Copa del Rey final for the first time since 2013 after defeating Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate in their semifinal series. The Spanish champions secured a crucial comeback victory in the second leg, overcoming a 3-0 deficit from the first match.

In the first leg, Barcelona dominated the match at Camp Nou, taking a 4-0 lead before Atletico Madrid’s late surge. However, in the return leg, Atletico staged an impressive recovery, scoring four goals to Barcelona’s three and securing their place in the final.

The decisive goal came from Marc Bernal, who scored twice for Barcelona, including one that set up a frantic finale after Atletico had taken the lead. The match ended with six minutes of stoppage time, during which Atletico Madrid fended off Barcelona’s attempts to equalize.

Atletico Madrid will now face either Real Sociedad or Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final, scheduled for April 18 in Seville. The team’s goalkeeper, Juan Musso, expressed relief at securing their place in the final, saying that getting through to the final was the most important thing. Barcelona’s Raphinha praised his teammates’ efforts, acknowledging that they gave everything but ultimately fell short.

The Copa del Rey semifinal series will conclude with a second leg between Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday.

Source: Al Jazeera