Rapinha had to be consoled after Barcelona was knocked out of the Copa del Rey despite winning the second leg against Atletico. Image Credit: X/@FCBarcelona
Barcelona was on the cusp of yet another remontada against Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the Copa Del Rey semi-finals. Having lost the first leg away from home by a 4-0 margin, FCB was ready to script a comeback at the Spotify Camp Nou. However, despite a brace from Marc Bernal and a crucial penalty netted in by Rapinha, Barca was unable to knock Atletico out, in spite of winning the reverse fixture 3-0.
The 32-time champions were knocked out by Atletico, who will go on to face the winner of the semi-final tie between Athletic Club and Real Sociedad. Currently, Real Sociedad is leading the tie with a 1-0 win in the first leg. The second leg will take place tonight at the Reale Arena.
Having lost the first leg by 4-0, it was essential for the Blaugrana to score at least four goals to take the game to extra time. Marc Bernal opened the scoring for the hosts with a 29th-minute goal. The defensive midfielder was assisted by Lamine Yamal. Yamal played a huge role in the goal by dribbling past his defender on the left wing before crossing the ball in the six-yard box.
Pedri went down in the penalty box during added injury time in the first half. Atletico’s defender, Marc Pubill, tripped him up. Rapinha stepped up to take the spot kick and converted it into a goal.
The second half began with more bad news for the hosts as another player went down with an injury. Alex Balde, coming on in the clash as a substitute himself for injured Jules Kounde, had to leave the field. His injury appeared to be even more serious, with him having to cover his tears while walking off the field.
Bernal found his second goal of the night to put Barca within touching distance of a great comeback. The hosts, despite creating multiple chances and firing many shots at the Atletico goalkeeper, could not score another as the final whistle was blown.
Atletico Madrid would know that their chances of winning their 11th Copa Del Rey title have increased massively. Diego Simeone’s side has not made it to the final of the tournament since 2012-13 and will be facing the winner of Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao.
Sociedad is currently leading the tie, having won the first leg 1-0. However, Athletic Bilbao’s success in the Copa Del Rey cannot be taken lightly. They are the second-most successful club in the competition, having won the tournament 24 times.
Also Read: Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid Live Streaming: Where to Watch Copa Del Rey match on TV and Online
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