Atlético Madrid delivered a stellar first-half display, defeating Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final at the Metropolitano Stadium.
The scoring began with an own goal from Eric Garcia, followed by contributions from Antoine Griezmann, Ademola Lookman, and Julian Alvarez, delighting the Atlético fans.
Coach Giuliano Simeone put Joao Garcia to the test early, but disaster struck in the sixth minute when Eric Garcia misjudged a back pass, allowing the ball to roll past him and onto the goal line.
Just eight minutes later, Griezmann, a former Barcelona player, doubled Atlético’s advantage. He received a low cross from Nahuel Molina and slotted it into the bottom left corner.
Barcelona attempted to respond, with Fermín López hitting the crossbar. However, Alvarez’s shot was cleared off the line by Jules Kounde, and after Molina’s attempt went over the bar, Lookman scored the third goal in the 33rd minute, curling Alvarez’s clever pass into the bottom right corner.
Lookman struck again in the second minute of first-half stoppage time, marking the Argentine’s first goal since early December.
Pau Kvarsi thought he had scored for Barcelona six minutes into the second half, but a VAR review ruled out the goal due to Robert Lewandowski being offside in the buildup.
Atlético maintained their commanding performance, and Barcelona’s situation worsened in the 85th minute when Eric Garcia received a red card after a VAR review upgraded his yellow card for a high tackle on Alex Baena.
Big win in the first leg!! pic.twitter.com/uVugkAPx9p
— Atletico Madrid (@atletienglish) February 12, 2026
Data Report: Atlético Unravels Barcelona’s High Line
Before this match, Atlético had lost all four of their previous home encounters with Barcelona, but they now hold a slim advantage heading into the second leg on March 3.
This marked at least the second occasion since the 2004-05 season that Barcelona conceded four goals by halftime, the last being in their infamous 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League in August 2020.
Atlético successfully exposed Barcelona’s high defensive line, achieving a well-deserved win with an expected goals (xG) of 2.33 from 12 shots, while Barcelona generated only 1.02 xG from 14 attempts.
It was a particularly rough night for Eric Garcia, who became the first Barcelona player since the 2004-05 season to score an own goal and receive a red card in the same match.
Fan Take: This significant defeat emphasizes the evolving landscape of Spanish football, where Atlético is proving to be a strong contender against historically dominant teams like Barcelona. For soccer fans, it highlights the unpredictability of cup competitions and the potential for shifts in power dynamics within the league.
