Madrid: FC Barcelona won 1-0 away to Atletico Madrid to secure a Copa del Rey final spot against Real Madrid.
For the first time since 2014, the Copa del Rey Final is going to be a Clasico as Barcelona have won at the Metropolitano for the second time in a fortnight and are through to the final of a competition they have already won a record 31 times.
Ferran Torres’ first-half goal sealed Barca’s spot in the Cup final in a game where Barca dominated the first 45 minutes before Atletico took control after the break, reports Xinhua.
Barca coach Hansi Flick surprised many with his starting lineup, fielding Torres ahead of top scorer Robert Lewandowski, while Fermin Lopez started instead of Gavi, who replaced the injured Dani Olmo.
Atletico coach Diego Simeone made no surprises, with Juan Musso starting in goal, as he has throughout the Cup season.
Following a first leg that produced eight goals, a high-octane start to the game was expected, and Lamine Yamal almost set up Torres in the opening minute.
Atletico defender Cesar Azpilicueta survived a VAR check after eight minutes following a late studs-up challenge on Raphinha. When Rodrigo De Paul was also booked for a late tackle on the Brazilian, tensions threatened to boil over.
Yamal curled a shot just wide for Barca as the visitors began to dominate possession in Atletico’s half. It came as no surprise when Torres opened the scoring in the 27th minute. Yamal delivered a perfect through ball, and Torres’ first-time finish guided the ball past Musso.
Yamal and Raphinha nearly added a second during a scramble in the penalty area, while Atletico’s only significant chance was a Robin Le Normand header from a free kick that went over the bar.
Atletico coach Diego Simeone made a triple substitution at halftime, bringing on Javi Galan, Alexander Sorloth, and Clement Lenglet. These changes injected energy into his side.
Sorloth fired into the side netting when he should have hit the target, and Lenglet headed over from a corner.
Barca appeared disjointed and struggled to string passes together as Atletico disrupted their passing game. The momentum shifted, and it was Atletico’s turn to apply pressure to the visiting team’s goal.
However, despite Atletico’s efforts, the Barca defense, well-organized by Inigo Martinez and Ronald Araujo, prevented goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny from being forced into a difficult save.
(IANS)
