Barcelona and Atlético Madrid produced one of the greatest Copa del Rey matches of all time as the two heavyweights played to a remarkable 4-4 draw in Tuesday’s semi-final first leg at the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium.
An absolutely wild contest saw Barça concede twice in the first five minutes, then score four unanswered goals before conceding twice again in the final minutes to end a classic in the Catalan capital and set up a spectacular second leg in Madrid in five weeks.
Atlético de Madrid stunned the home crowd with a lightning-fast start, racing to a 2-0 lead within the first six minutes. Julián Álvarez opened the scoring, followed swiftly by a strike from Antoine Griezmann, capitalizing on defensive lapses to put the visitors in a commanding position.
Despite the early setback, Barcelona demonstrated remarkable composure and determination. In the 19th minute, Pedri ignited the comeback with a well-placed shot, reducing the deficit.
Just two minutes later, young talent Pau Cubarsí rose above the defense to head home the equalizer from a corner, bringing the Blaugrana level. The momentum firmly shifted, and in the 41st minute, Iñigo Martínez capitalized on a set-piece opportunity, nodding in to give Barcelona a 3-2 lead heading into halftime.
Motivated by their first-half resurgence, Barcelona continued to press in the second half. In the 57th minute, Lamine Yamal delivered a precise cross to Robert Lewandowski, who made no mistake in front of goal, extending the hosts’ advantage to 4-2.
However, Atlético de Madrid refused to capitulate. Marcos Llorente reignited their hopes by finding the net, narrowing the margin.
As the match approached its climax, Alexander Sorloth emerged as the hero for the visitors, slotting home in stoppage time to secure a dramatic equalizer. The final whistle confirmed a thrilling 4-4 draw, setting the stage for a tantalizing second leg.
