Absolute Draw 4-4: Barcelona-Atlético Madrid, What a Game!

A Breathtaking Finish in Montjuïc: Barcelona and Atlético Madrid Draw 4-4 After an Emotion-Filled Game

Barcelona and Atlético Madrid met once again at Montjuïc, two months after their dramatic league clash. On December 21, the Colchoneros had secured a come-from-behind victory. After Pedri’s opening goal, De Paul and Sørloth responded for Atlético, with the Norwegian scoring the winning goal in the 96th minute, silencing the Olympic Stadium and giving Simeone his first-ever victory at Camp Nou (after 19 attempts), while also taking the lead in La Liga. Now, Barcelona and Atlético, separated by just one point in the title race, face off for a place in the Copa del Rey final. Barcelona holds the record with 31 Copa del Rey titles, but has not reached the final in the past three seasons (the last in 2020/21). Atlético Madrid, on the other hand, claimed their 10th Copa del Rey title against Real Madrid in 2013 but has not returned to the final since.

First Half

The first half of Barcelona-Atlético Madrid was full of action, with the scoreline at 3-2 in favor of Barcelona after the first 45 minutes. The match started at a high pace, and Atlético Madrid quickly took control.

In the first 50 seconds, Atlético took the lead with Julian Alvarez. From a corner taken by Griezmann, Lenglet flicked the ball with his head towards the far post, where Alvarez, positioned perfectly, beat Szczesny with a close-range goal. Barcelona barely had time to react before Atlético doubled their lead at the 6th minute, with Griezmann scoring. Alvarez won the ball from Koundé, turning the play around and passing to Griezmann, who dribbled past Balde and slotted the ball past the Polish goalkeeper with his left foot.

Despite being two goals down, Barcelona kept pressing and reduced the deficit at the 19th minute thanks to Pedri. The move started with Yamal, who made a precise pass to Koundé, who then found Pedri in the box for an easy tap-in. Barcelona continued to create chances, but at the 21st minute, from a corner, Atlético temporarily leveled the score with Cubarsi, who headed in from Raphinha’s cross, beating Barrios at the far post.

Barcelona’s Comeback

Barcelona, however, was not ready to give up and kept pushing. At the 41st minute, Inigo Martinez completed the comeback with a goal similar to Cubarsi’s. He took advantage of a block during a corner from Raphinha and, completely unmarked, headed the ball past Musso, putting the score at 3-2.

Throughout the first half, there were more opportunities: Dani Olmo tried a shot from a tight angle, but Musso was quick to block. Yamal showed his talent with several dangerous runs, but Atlético’s defense held strong. Ferran Torres had a good chance in the 32nd minute, but after beating Musso, he mishit the ball, with Gimenez clearing it off the line. Raphinha and Pedri also had attempts, but Atlético’s keeper was alert.

Atlético, for its part, struggled to get out of its own half under the pressure from Barcelona, but managed to hold onto their lead until halftime.

The second half promised even more excitement, with both teams determined to win the game.

Second Half

The match between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid ended in an incredible 4-4 draw, a result that thrilled fans until the final minute of play. After an even first half, the game took an interesting turn in the second half, with both teams going all out, trying to outdo each other in an intense finish.

At the 74th minute, Barcelona seemed to have sealed the win with Lewandowski’s goal, a tap-in from close range after a run by Yamal, bringing the score to 4-2. The Polish striker, with his 33rd goal of the season, took advantage of Yamal’s brilliant assist after the winger had beaten Reinildo.

However, Atlético showed their resilience, and at the 84th minute, they pulled one back with Llorente’s goal. The play started with a precise pass from Alvarez to Correa, who then passed to Llorente in full stride. The midfielder, with strength and determination, shot the ball, and with a deflection off Gavi, it went past Szczesny, making it 4-3 and reigniting Atlético’s hopes.

Sørloth’s Goal

Atlético kept pressing, with Correa having a great chance to equalize at the 88th minute when Sørloth, with a quick play, assisted Correa, putting him one-on-one with Szczesny. However, the Barcelona goalkeeper won the duel, saving the shot and keeping the score 4-3 in Barcelona’s favor.

In the final minutes, Barcelona tried to hold onto their lead, but Atlético was relentless. In the 90+3rd minute, with one last attack, Sørloth scored the equalizer, making it 4-4. Lino broke forward on the left, passing to Sørloth, who scored with a tap-in at the far post, dramatically leveling the score, repeating what had happened two months ago when Sørloth had scored against Barcelona in the dying minutes.

The match was also marked by several yellow cards: Gimenez was booked for a foul on Gavi, while Simeone received a yellow for protests. Both teams made substitutions, with Barcelona bringing on Lewandowski and Gavi, while Atlético replaced Griezmann and De Paul, with Sørloth and Correa coming on in attack.

Final Moments

There were also moments of tension and protests: at the 57th minute, Yamal was lightly touched by Samuel Lino in the box, but the referee allowed play to continue despite strong protests from Barcelona players.

In summary, it was a high-paced game, with both teams showing character and determination until the final second. The 4-4 result rewards Atlético’s resilience, as they managed to come back from two goals down in the final minutes, but it left a bittersweet feeling for Barcelona, who seemed to have the game wrapped up before Atlético’s dramatic resurgence.

The return leg will be played on Wednesday, April 2, at the Metropolitano in Madrid. The winning team will face either Real Madrid or Real Sociedad in the final on April 26 in Seville.

Article by Rebecca Olivieri