Barcelona and Atletico Madrid delivered a thrilling spectacle on Tuesday as their Copa del Rey semi-final first leg ended in an electrifying 4-4 draw, setting up an intense return fixture.
Atletico made a dream start, stunning the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys crowd with two quick-fire goals.
Julian Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann found the net within the opening six minutes, assisting each other in a devastating attacking display that left some Barcelona fans fearing the worst.
Yet, Barcelona refused to crumble. Within 15 minutes, Pedri halved the deficit, and shortly after, Pau Cubarsi rose highest to nod home a Raphinha corner, bringing the hosts level and giving everyone a moment to process the chaos.
As the break approached, Barcelona completed their remarkable first-half turnaround in identical fashion—another pinpoint Raphinha corner, this time met by Inigo Martinez, whose header put Hansi Flick’s men in front.
Atletico thought they had equalized in the second half when Alexander Sorloth found the back of the net, only for the offside flag to cut his celebrations short.
Adding to their frustration, Robert Lewandowski capitalized on a close-range opportunity moments later, extending Barcelona’s lead.
But the drama wasn’t over. With six minutes left, Marcos Llorente powered in a strike from the edge of the box, reigniting Atletico’s hopes.
Then, in the dying moments, Sorloth made amends, bundling home a counter-attack to complete a stunning comeback and leave the tie delicately poised heading into the return leg.
