Atletico Madrid 0-1 Barcelona: Match review | OneFootball

FC Barcelona manage to get a massive victory over Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey. The final meeting between the two sides this season, it was a game that had a lot of expectations. Ultimately, however, it was FC Barcelona that ended up coming out on top.

The second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final clash, both teams came into this game with a lot of motivation. With Real Madrid already waiting in the final, both teams knew that they would get a chance to come up against a rival in the final should they manage to win this game.

Previously, both teams played out the first leg at the Montjuic Stadium and that game ended with a surreal 4-4 scoreline. That simplymeant that any team that managed to win the second-leg would end up guaranteeing a spot for themselves in the final this season.

During the first half of this game, despite it taking place at the Metropolitano, Barcelona were by far and away the more comfortable team. Simply playing Atletico Madrid out of the park at their own home stadium, La Blaugrana completely bullied Diego Simeone’s side.

With 69% possession in the first half, Barcelona generated a total of 1.39 xG. They took a total of 10 shots, and while only two of them were on target, they managed to grab a goal from them. Thanks to a wonderful play between Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, Barça ended the first half with a slight one goal advantage.

Atletico Madrid, on the other hand, greatly suffered during that first half. They have 31% of possession, and had zero shots on target. Moreover, they only managed to generate a total xG of 0.04. Simeone’s side needed to bounce back in the second half, and they did just that.

Things shifted drastically, and Atletico Madrid’s intensity definitely gave Barcelona problems. With 53% of possession, they definitely looked to be up for the challenge. Moreover, they also generated 0.78 xG in the second half, compared to Barça’s 0.39.

They also took five shots during the second half, although none of them were registered on target. However, Alexander Sorloth came on and he created issues for the Catalan giants. He even managed to find the back of the net on one occasion, but Barça’s calculated high-line managed to catch him offside.

Ultimately, there were no goals in the second half and that meant that Ferran Torres’s goal would be the game-deciding moment. Several Barcelona players showcased exceptional quality on the ball, and Pedri was yet again noteworthy as he simply outplayed the opponents during every step of the way.