Torres’ Milestone Goal Propels Barcelona to Copa Del Rey Final, Overcoming Atletico Madrid

A closely contested 1-0 victory in the second leg saw Barcelona secure a 5-4 aggregate win over Atletico Madrid, which means they have reached the Copa del Rey final for the first time since the 2020/21 season.

This was the third encounter between these two teams since late February, and Atletico were eager to finally earn a victory against Barcelona, following a disappointing March that saw them exit the UEFA Champions League and effectively quash their hopes of clinching the LaLiga title.

That urgency perhaps led to a rash early challenge from Cesar Azpilicueta, who must have been relieved when referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero opted not to escalate his yellow card for a reckless tackle on the back of Raphinha’s leg.

Lamine Yamal soon sparked a period of dominance for Barcelona, narrowly missing the target after expertly cutting inside with a fine first touch.

The match was fiercely contested as both sides battled hard, but it was the visitors who capitalised on their first-half control. Ferran Torres managed to poke home Yamal’s incisive pass past Juan Musso, putting Barcelona in front.

Barcelona almost doubled their lead just before the break, but Raphinha’s tight-angle shot was saved by Musso as he sought to extend their advantage.

Searching for a renewed spark, Diego Simeone opted for a triple substitution at half-time. Alexander Sorloth, who had levelled the tie in stoppage time of the first leg, made an early impact here too, firing a shot into the side netting shortly after entering the fray.

While Atletico showed marked improvement, Barcelona remained a threat, nearly increasing their lead with a slick Raphinha strike that was swept away by Musso.

However, midway through the second half, the celebrations of the home crowd were brought to a halt as a marginal offside call ruled out Sorloth’s low strike after he had sprinted through on goal. Unlike the first leg, clear opportunities became a rarity, with Atletico successfully stifling the visitors following their half-time adjustments. Nevertheless, a much-needed equaliser never came, allowing Barcelona to secure a fourth consecutive away victory over Atletico.

Atletico Madrid’s ongoing struggles are evident as they have now gone six matches without a win (D1, L5). With a nine-point deficit in LaLiga, this defeat signals the end of their last realistic chance for silverware this season.

In contrast, Barcelona, under Hansi Flick, are on a remarkable unbeaten streak of 21 matches across all competitions (W18, D3) and are firmly in contention for a historic quadruple, having already secured the Spanish Super Cup ahead of their upcoming clash with rivals Real Madrid in Seville.