Barcelona Shocked, Atleti Exultant with Rout

The magic of football often lies in the fact that every match can become a surprising story, as happened to Barcelona against Atlético Madrid in the Copa del Rey.

Today, the football world is talking about nothing other than the beating the colchoneros handed the culés—4-0 at the Metropolitano Stadium in the Spanish capital. An unexpected start when Eric García's back pass to goalkeeper Joan García ended up in the back of the net after just seven minutes.

The frustration over what transpired during the match later took its toll on Eric García himself, who was sent off for a hard tackle on Álex Baena as he was heading for a fifth goal in the 86th minute.

Earlier, the unusual offensive recital by the Madrid-based side had Barcelona on the ropes, incapable of reacting. The avalanche, led by Antoine Griezmann, continued with a goal from the Frenchman in the 14th minute.

Shortly after, a team move featuring contributions from Griezmann and Argentinians Giuliano Simeone and Julián Álvarez ended with a goal from Nigerian Ademola Lookman in the 33rd minute.

The stage was set for the final blow: another well-orchestrated play in which Lookman provided the precise pass to Julián, who made it a definitive 4-0 in the 47th minute.

Although the second leg remains at Camp Nou in early March, Barcelona faces a very difficult—if not impossible—task. A comeback after the colchonero drubbing would require them to appeal to the excellence of their stars.

Especially because Atlético, often criticized for the defensive approach instilled by their coach Diego Cholo Simeone, showed an almost unknown face last night—an extraordinary attacking vocation combined with tactical discipline in the defensive lines.

Argentine full-back Nahuel Molina expressed his happiness with the result, although he admitted that nothing is decided "because Barcelona is a very compact team at their ground."

"We knew they play with a very high line. The idea was to catch them on the counter, to draw them in. We did that very well. The team played intelligently," Molina added.

The Argentine emphasized that being in a semifinal brings the possibility of winning the Copa del Rey closer, "and we are going to fight for everything, including the Champions League."

In the other tie, Real Sociedad struck first by overcoming Athletic Bilbao 1-0. They will face each other again in the first week of March.