Atletico Madrid and Barcelona delivered a pulsating 4-4 draw in a dramatic Copa del Rey semi-final first leg on Tuesday, with both sides staging remarkable comebacks at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
Diego Simeone’s men made a blistering start, surging ahead with two goals inside the first six minutes. Julián Álvarez struck first, capitalizing on a flicked Antoine Griezmann cross at the back post.
Minutes later, the Argentine turned provider, setting up Griezmann after Jules Koundé’s misplaced pass. The French forward, despite pressure from Alejandro Balde, managed to beat Wojciech Szczęsny, doubling Atletico’s lead.
Barcelona, however, responded emphatically. Pedri González pulled one back after an assist from Koundé before 17-year-old Pau Cubarsí nodded in the equalizer from a corner.
The Catalan side then took control, with Ferran Torres missing a golden opportunity to put them ahead before halftime.
After the break, Barcelona continued their dominance. Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal dazzled with a mazy run before setting up substitute Robert Lewandowski, who slotted home to complete the turnaround.
Despite Barcelona’s control, Atletico refused to surrender. Marcos Llorente reignited their hopes with a long-range strike in the 84th minute before Alexander Sørloth found the net in stoppage time, finishing a cut-back from Samuel Lino to ensure the tie remains finely poised ahead of the return leg at the Metropolitano on April 2.
Both managers made notable selection choices, with Hansi Flick opting to bench top scorer Lewandowski in favor of Torres in a false nine role.
Meanwhile, Simeone fielded a strong lineup despite a congested fixture schedule, including upcoming clashes with Barcelona and a Champions League last-16 showdown against Real Madrid.
In the other semi-final, Real Madrid are set to face Real Sociedad in their first-leg encounter on Wednesday.
