A first-half strike from Ferran Torres helped Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid 1-0 on the night and 5-4 on aggregate to advance into the final of the Copa del Rey.
Both sides played a thrilling 4-4 draw in the first leg at Montjuic; however, the return fixture at the Wanda Metropolitano was a cagey affair, with both sides giving up little.
A telepathic combination between Lamine Yamal and Torres broke the deadlock. It proved the only goal and was enough for the Blaugrana to join Real Madrid in the final.
From the outset, Atletico’s desperation was palpable, and it almost boiled over into disaster early on, but VAR spared Cesar Azpilicueta a red card after his reckless challenge on Raphinha.
Barcelona dominated the opening exchanges as expected, and their relentless attacks eventually paid off when Ferran Torres diverted a well-weighted Lamine Yamal through ball beyond Juan Musso’s reach and into the goal.
Diego Simeone’s halftime triple substitution aimed to inject new life into Atletico’s attack, and substitute Alexander Sorloth was instrumental in their improved performance.
However, Barcelona created the better chances at the start of the second half.
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Atletico’s substitutes had Barcelona against the ropes, however, and they thought they scored when the Norwegian striker found the back of the net, but the goal was disallowed for a marginal offside.
Despite restricting Barcelona’s opportunities in the second half, Atletico failed to find the elusive equaliser, succumbing to another defeat to Hansi Flick’s side.
With the victory, the Blaugrana would play in an El Clasico final against Real Madrid, who booked their ticket to the final in Seville a day earlier, beating Real Sociedad.
