Suffering Forward – Partido a Partido, Into the Copa Final for the First Time in 13 Years

⚽ 29' Marc Bernal, 45+5' Raphinha (PK), 72' Marc Bernal

🟨 66' Dani Olmo, 67' João Cancelo, 90+3' Lamine Yamal, 90+5' Álex Baena

Match Overview

Copa del Rey semi-final, second leg. FC Barcelona defeated Atlético Madrid 3-0 at their home ground, Spotify Camp Nou. However, the aggregate score stood at 3-4. Atlético scraped through on the back of their 4-0 first-leg cushion, reaching the Copa del Rey final for the first time in 13 years since the 2012-13 season — the 20th time in club history. The goals came from Marc Bernal's brace (29', 72') and Raphinha's penalty (45+5'). For Atlético, this marks the second final under Simeone's reign, with the final opponent being either Real Sociedad or Athletic Club. The match will be held on April 18 at La Cartuja in Seville.

Atlético Refused to Bare Their Fangs — 90 Minutes of Endurance

In the pre-match report, I wrote that "Simeone is unlikely to resort to the old-fashioned 'pickle the game' tactic of parking a full defensive block and killing off 90 minutes." But what unfolded on the pitch was something remarkably close to exactly that.

Possession: 71% to 29%. Shots: 21 to 7. Shots on target: 9 to 2. Corners: 15 to 0. Pass accuracy: 90% to 74%. xG: 3.09 to 0.68. Big chances: 4 to 0 — every single number tells the story of how one-sided this match was. Barcelona pressed high from the opening whistle, and within three minutes Fermín López's long-range effort forced a sharp save from Musso. From a flurry of corners, Ferran Torres had two chances, and at 15 minutes Raphinha's cut-inside shot grazed the side netting. Atlético were pinned deep in their own half, unable to string passes together toward the front line even after winning the ball back.

In the 29th minute, Lamine Yamal received a short corner and brilliantly beat Lookman on the left flank before delivering a low cross into the box, where Bernal, unmarked at the six-yard box, prodded home with his right foot. At 18 years and 281 days old, he became the youngest player to score twice in a Copa del Rey match since at least the 2013-14 season (FotMob). Camp Nou erupted.

In first-half added time at 45+5, Pedri attempted a dribble inside the penalty area and was brought down by Pubill. Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea pointed to the spot, and Raphinha sent Musso the wrong way, slotting into the left corner. 2-0. Atlético conceding twice before half-time was the polar opposite of the first leg, where they had scored four in the opening 45 minutes.

In the second half, Simeone withdrew Koke and Lookman at 58 minutes, introducing Sørloth and Molina. This double substitution flipped Atlético's switch into full "time management" mode. Flashscore wrote: "Time wasting quickly became a feature for visitors who remained under pressure, with half an hour still to play." At 69 minutes, Álvarez was replaced by Baena. Into the Calderón described Baena as "playing the role of an hijo de puta to foul, win fouls and waste time."

But then came the 72nd minute. Cancelo's arcing corner found Bernal, who met it with a volley to make it 3-0. Aggregate: 3-4. The atmosphere inside Camp Nou shifted instantly. Flick threw centre-back Araújo up front in a desperate "power play." For the remaining 20 or so minutes, Barcelona pushed five players forward and laid siege to Atlético's goal. Six minutes of added time were signaled, and in the 87th minute Gerard Martín's thunderous strike sailed just over the crossbar. But Atlético held firm until the end.

As I wrote in the pre-match report, the scenario was one where "a single counter-attack goal would drastically reduce the chance of a comeback" — yet in reality, not even that single counter-attack materialised. Atlético's counters posed virtually no threat across the full 90 minutes, with Joan García making just two saves. The only exceptions were Griezmann's shot in the 27th minute (caught cleanly by García) and Lookman's diving header that drifted just wide. Honestly, I wanted to see Atlético show more bite. The question lingers: with a 4-0 aggregate lead, was it truly necessary to spend all 90 minutes in such a purely passive posture?

Pedri Changed the Landscape

In the pre-match report, I wrote that "the presence of Pedri and Raphinha fundamentally determines whether Flick's tactical blueprint is viable." This match provided complete vindication of that hypothesis.

Pedri was in a class of his own. Every time he received the ball in midfield — with his turns in tight spaces, his one-touch distribution, and his through balls into the final third — he ran rings around Atlético's midfield anchors Koke and Cardoso. One of the most upvoted comments in the r/soccer post-match thread read: "Barca with and without Pedri are two different teams. He really is that guy." Flashscore's Man of the Match was, unsurprisingly, Pedri.

The question of whether things might have been different had Pedri played in the first leg is answered eloquently by these 90 minutes. That said, it should be noted that Atlético were also without Barrios across both legs. As one r/atletico fan pointed out: "we didn't have our best midfielder for both legs." The balance sheet of midfield quality had holes on both sides.

Musso — The Guardian's Six Saves

Without Musso, this article might have been titled "Barcelona Complete the Remontada." Six saves in total. Among them, the defining moment — and arguably the turning point of the match — came around the 55th minute, when Yamal broke through and teed up Ferran Torres, whose shot was parried by Musso, only for Bernal to pounce on the rebound, and Musso somehow denied that effort too. A stunning "double save." Had either gone in, it would have been 3-0 at that stage with 35 minutes remaining and just a one-goal aggregate lead. The frenzy inside Camp Nou would have reached another level entirely.

Into the Calderón named him "tonight's star performer," writing that "once more, his spot in this team is deserved beyond all doubt." However, Into the Calderón also questioned his handling of Ferran Torres's shot in the build-up to Bernal's 29th-minute opener — his parry went straight out for a corner, and it was from that corner kick that Bernal scored — suggesting he "could have caught it." His rating was held at 6.

After the match, Musso said:

"Barcelona are one of the best teams in the world, but we went through. We're going to the final. We'll give everything to win the Copa del Rey." (Al Jazeera)

Griezmann — 90 Minutes in a Hybrid Role

Griezmann occupied a distinctive role in this match, drifting between attack and defence. In Into the Calderón's words, he was "In a hybrid role between being tasked with man-marking Pedri and creating something up top."

In the 27th minute, he received a pass from Ruggeri's build-up, shifted onto his left foot inside the penalty area and fired a shot, but Joan García held it comfortably. In the 42nd minute, he met an Álvarez cross with a fierce strike that rattled the post, though the goal was disallowed as Álvarez had been offside in the build-up. Neither effort found the net, but Griezmann was involved in virtually every one of Atlético's scarce attacking moments.

Into the Calderón awarded him a rating of 6, adding that "he demonstrated some seriously impressive touches here and there, showing he's clearly still the best player on this team." The fact that a player approaching 34 completed the full 90 minutes without ever appearing to run out of steam is remarkable in itself. His ability to advance the ball without delay on the counter, his one-touch decisions to escape congested areas — these qualities are irreplaceable. From the bottom of my heart, I hope he stays at this club next season.

Individual Assessments — Light and Shadow

Ruggeri vs Yamal — The Verdict on a 180-Minute Duel

For Ruggeri, this 180-minute battle must have been a complex experience to process. In the first leg, he earned an 8 from Into the Calderón, having virtually shut Yamal out of the game. His Instagram post of Yamal's stats from that match had generated significant buzz.

But the second leg told a different story. Yamal repeatedly shrugged off Ruggeri and drove into the penalty area, and the assist for the 29th-minute opener — receiving a short corner, beating Lookman, and delivering the cross — was Yamal at his very best. Into the Calderón gave Ruggeri a 5, while noting that he was up against "quite possibly the best player in the world, fresh from scoring a hat-trick at the weekend." Over 180 minutes, limiting Yamal to a single assist represents a solid body of work, but on the night of the second leg alone, Yamal clearly had the upper hand.

Pubill — A Physical Shield and the Cost of a Penalty

Pubill displayed outstanding physical resilience in defence. Into the Calderón noted that he "mopped up nicely at the back when Barça attacked from deep, and he had a resolute aerial display towards the end of the match." His rating was 6.

However, the penalty conceded for his foul on Pedri at 45+3 raises questions not of bad luck, but of judgement. Into the Calderón described it as "extremely unlucky," but in terms of risk management when challenging a player of Pedri's calibre inside the penalty area, it was a moment that demanded a higher level of maturity. On the other hand, while his physical presence was notable, there was a sense that he misplaced more passes than usual.

Javi Cardoso — Steady Through the Full 90

Into the Calderón's rating of 4 was harsh, but I feel Cardoso's 90 minutes deserve more credit. It's true that in front of Pedri he looked "swallowed up by the early pressure of the Camp Nou." But to complete the full match in midfield without Barrios, avoiding any truly fatal errors while providing understated but steady defensive contributions, is worthy of recognition. Given his recent form, it's fair to say he has risen to a starting-calibre level.

Álvarez vs Lookman — Who Should Have Stayed On?

Both Álvarez and Lookman received a harsh rating of 3 from Into the Calderón. Álvarez was described as having "another of his nonexistent nights," while Lookman's defensive work against Yamal was called "nothing short of terrible." The 29th-minute opener was born directly from Lookman being beaten head-on by Yamal with apparent ease.

Simeone's 58th-minute substitution — withdrawing Lookman for Molina while keeping Álvarez on — sparked debate. In the r/atletico match thread, one comment read: "Subbing Lookman out for Sorloth is crazy!!! At the end with one fast player we could have really scored another goal!!!!" Into the Calderón also noted: "The optics aren't great when your number goes up on the board after 58 minutes." I too believe there was a case for keeping Lookman on as the counter-attacking trump card. Álvarez was virtually invisible throughout, while Lookman's pace and ability to beat defenders could have made a difference in the closing stages.

Substitutes and Tactical Impact — Sørloth's Two Faces

Sørloth, introduced at 58 minutes, showed "two faces" in this match.

The first was as a "fortress for time management and aerial duels." Into the Calderón wrote: "The big man once again proved to be a thorn in the opposition's side, coming on to stay on their last man, and to use his massive head to clear any danger when it came to defending set pieces." With Barcelona racking up 15 corners and Flick pushing Araújo into attack for a power play, Sørloth's aerial dominance was one of the key reasons Atlético did not concede a fourth. Together with Giménez, who came on for the injured Giuliano at 76 minutes, the pair formed an "aerial fortress" as the last line of defence. Into the Calderón described Giménez in characteristically blunt fashion: "Came on to head the f**k clear of anything that came his way."

The second face was the "absence of attacking output." The r/atletico match thread was merciless: "sorloth how are you freshly on but so fucking slow," "Sørloth had 3 business days for the shot," "Sorloth has become a legit fridge on the pitch." There was a moment where he carried the ball forward from around the halfway line and attempted a shot, but Cubarsí's covering challenge snuffed it out.

Into the Calderón weighed both sides and awarded a rating of 6, concluding: "Perhaps he should have been on from the start, but his ability to change the rhythm of a game like this is very important." His attacking contribution was next to nothing, but as a set-piece defensive wall and a key cog in the team's time-wasting machinery, he did exactly the job Simeone had calculated.

Baena (introduced at 69 minutes) received a rating of 6 from Into the Calderón. As mentioned, he committed fully to the role of "fouling, winning fouls and wasting time," symbolised by the yellow card he picked up at 90+5. The r/atletico thread echoed the sentiment: "Great Baena sub, he stole so much time."

On the whole, Atlético's substitutes failed to produce any game-changing attacking impact. Had there been a player capable of shifting momentum — say, bringing on Almada or N. González to inject some thrust into the forward line — the match might not have been quite so lopsided. That said, if the objective was "reach the final," then Simeone's decisions were, ultimately, vindicated by the result.

To the Final for the First Time in 13 Years — And the Shadow of Barrios

Atlético Madrid's place in the Copa del Rey final is their first since the 2012-13 season — 13 years ago. In that final, they beat Real Madrid 2-1 after extra time for Simeone's first Copa del Rey title. Miranda and Godín commanded the back line, Koke covered every blade of grass in midfield, and Costa terrorised the forward areas. Thirteen years on, Koke is the only one still in that dressing room.

Barcelona's Raphinha reflected after the match:

"The fans could see that we gave everything. Against a team that defends so well, we did everything we needed to do. We just fell a little short." (Al Jazeera)

Yet for Atlético, the greatest concern is directed toward the future. Barrios was once again absent from the squad, and his availability for the Champions League Round of 16 first leg against Tottenham remains uncertain. This match laid bare, once again, the fragility of Atlético's midfield without him. As one Into the Calderón reader lamented: "we only have Koke, Cardoso and Barrios." When facing a world-class opponent like Pedri, Barrios's absence has devastating consequences. Considering that the possibility of facing Barcelona again in the Champions League remains — and having seen with our own eyes the strength of a Barcelona side with Pedri and Raphinha both firing, it is a prospect that can only be described as daunting — Barrios's return may well determine the fate of Atlético's entire season.

The tone of the r/atletico post-match thread captured the essence of this match better than anything else. A strange cocktail of euphoria, relief, and self-loathing. "My stomach hurts, but I'm happy." "First time a 3-0 loss to Barca has been worth celebrating." "MOST ATLETI GAME EVER" — this is what it means to be an Atlético fan. Suffering your way forward. Partido a partido.

Player Ratings

Starting XI

Substitutes

※ All ratings out of 10. Into the Calderón (ItC) ratings are subjective assessments by their editorial team (Oliver Cores); FotMob ratings are algorithm-based, derived from Opta data.