Barcelona and Atletico Madrid each rallied from two targets down in a frantic 4-4 draw in the primary leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals on Tuesday (February 25, 2025).
Atletico scored twice in the primary six minutes earlier than conceding 4 unanswered targets and coming again to even the match with targets in the ultimate 10 minutes, together with the equaliser by substitute Alexander Sorloth three minutes into stoppage time.
“It’s the worst result after we were up 4-2,” Barcelona playmaker Pedri stated.
“It had already happened in the league and again now. We have to be more careful, we have to learn to keep it from happening.”
Atletico had crushed Barcelona 2-1 in Barcelona in the Spanish league when the groups final met in December, with Sorloth scoring the successful six minutes into stoppage time.
“We never give up,” Atletico ahead Julián Álvarez stated.
“We always keep our heads up, believing that we can come back. That’s what we always do. We played a great match but there are still 90 minutes left.”
Barcelona noticed Atletico leap to an early lead with targets by Álvarez in the primary minute and Antoine Griezmann in the sixth, however the hosts tied the sport by the twenty first minute because of targets two minutes aside by Pedri and Pau Cubarsí.
The Catalan membership took a 3-2 lead into halftime after Iñigo Martínez scored in the forty first. Robert Lewandowski elevated the lead in the 74th.
Atletico pulled nearer with Marcos Llorente in the 84th and Sorloth obtained the equalizer from shut vary.
Second leg
The second leg might be at Atletico’s Metropolitano Stadium might be in April. The winner will play both Real Madrid or Real Sociedad, which is able to play their first-leg match on Wednesday in Basque Country.
Barcelona final received the competitors in 2021 and Atletico in 2013. The groups will meet once more in the Spanish league in a match in Madrid on March 16.
Until the semifinal stage, the Copa’s knockout rounds have been performed in single-elimination video games.
Spanish media stated a fan was detained following conflicts between Barcelona supporters and police.
Published – February 26, 2025 10:38 am IST
