Epic Copa del Rey Clash: Atletico Stun Barcelona with Last-Minute Comeback in 4-4 Thriller

In a breathtaking Copa del Rey semi-final first leg, Atletico Madrid staged a stunning late comeback to secure a dramatic 4-4 draw against Barcelona, setting up a thrilling second-leg decider in Madrid on April 2.
Atletico struck early, silencing the home crowd with two quickfire goals. Julian Alvarez opened the scoring just 55 seconds after kickoff with a close-range volley from an Antoine Griezmann cross. Moments later, the roles reversed as Alvarez threaded a perfect pass to Griezmann, who doubled the visitors’ lead in the sixth minute.

Barcelona, however, roared back with a furious response. Pedri halved the deficit in the 19th minute after Lamine Yamal’s brilliant build-up play set up Jules Koundé for the assist. Just two minutes later, Pau Cubarsí soared above Pablo Barrios to head in the equalizer from Raphinha’s cross, completing an electric turnaround.

The home side seized the momentum and took the lead before halftime, with Iñigo Martínez heading in Raphinha’s corner in the 41st minute. After the break, Barcelona continued their dominance, and in the 74th minute, Yamal once again worked his magic, setting up Robert Lewandowski for a simple tap-in to make it 4-2.

But just when Barcelona seemed to have secured a first-leg advantage, Atletico mounted a spectacular fightback. Marcos Llorente pulled one back in the 84th minute, and deep into stoppage time, Alexander Sørloth struck on the counter, stunning the Camp Nou and leveling the tie ahead of the decisive second leg.

"That was just crazy," Atletico’s Alvarez told Movistar Plus. "We knew it wouldn’t be easy against one of the best teams in Europe, but we stayed in the game, kept believing, and fought until the end. Now, it’s all to play for in Madrid."

With eight goals, relentless attacking football, and a second leg still to come, this Copa del Rey clash is far from over.