No luck for João Cancelo, ex-Benfica man falls short for Barça vs Atlético | OneFootball

Hansi Flick's team entered determined and took control of the game from the start, after the 4-0 defeat in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final in Madrid, pushing Atlético into their own half. The Madrid team organized themselves with two compact defensive lines and resisted the pressure, relying on several decisive interventions by Juan Musso.

Barcelona's first setback was the injury of Jules Koundé. João Cancelo moved to the right, Alejandro Baldé came in on the left, but he also ended up getting injured. Despite this, the Catalans maintained their intensity and continued to create danger, while Atlético rarely managed to launch an attack.

The pressure eventually paid off: Lamine Yamal found space on the left and crossed for Marc Bernal to score in the 29th minute. Shortly after, Raphinha came close to the second, with a header, after a cross from Cancelo - who had also stood out against Villarreal.

Before the break, Atlético threatened through Antoine Griezmann, who hit the crossbar (in a questionable play due to a possible offside), and Ademola Lookman, who headed over from a good position. In injury time, Pedri was fouled for a penalty and Raphinha converted it, making it 2-0 before the break, at 45+5.

In the second half, Atlético tried to push forward, but Barça regained dominance. Cancelo once again created danger and Bernal scored a brace in the 72nd minute, reducing the deficit in the tie to just one goal. Until the end, the Catalans pressed in search of an aggregate draw, but Atlético held on and secured qualification for the final. Highlight for João Cancelo, very active in attack and secure in offensive actions.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.