JAKARTA – In a stunning turn of events, Barcelona suffered a heavy 0-4 defeat against Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal clash. The match, held at the Civitas Metropolitano on Friday morning WIB, saw the Catalan giants completely outplayed by a formidable Atleti side.
Despite the significant setback, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick remains resolute, expressing strong confidence that the Blaugrana will stage a dramatic comeback in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal next month at the legendary Camp Nou. “We have a chance to turn things around,” Flick asserted in a statement published on Barcelona‘s official website on Friday (February 13). “We can win each half by a score of 2-0. We are capable of bouncing back, and we will fight fiercely. For that, we will undoubtedly need the unwavering support of our fans at Spotify Camp Nou,” he added, calling for a united front.
Flick attributed his team’s struggles in the first leg to a critical failure in executing their intended pressing strategy, which ultimately led to them conceding all four goals during a dismal first half. However, the 60-year-old coach noted a clear improvement after the break, stating, “In the second half, we performed better.” The goals for Atletico Madrid in this dominant first-leg victory came from an unfortunate own goal by Eric Garcia, followed by strikes from the formidable Antoine Griezmann, Ademola Lookman, and Julian Alvarez. This commanding performance puts Atleti firmly in contention for a place in the final, where they will face the winner of the other semifinal tie between Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad.
The highly anticipated second leg between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid is scheduled for March 4th at 03:00 WIB (Western Indonesia Time). Prior to this pivotal encounter, Barcelona faces a demanding league schedule, with crucial matches against Girona, Levante, and Villarreal. Similarly, Atletico Madrid will navigate a packed fixture list of their own, competing in five matches before the return leg. Their challenging calendar includes La Liga clashes against Rayo Vallecano, Espanyol, and Real Oviedo, alongside two crucial Champions League play-off matches against Club Brugge. The stage is set for an intense showdown as both teams battle through their respective commitments before the decisive Copa del Rey semifinal conclusion. (antara/jpnn)
Summary
Barcelona suffered a heavy 0-4 defeat against Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal clash. Despite this significant setback, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick remains confident his team will stage a dramatic comeback in the second leg at Camp Nou. Flick asserted they can win each half 2-0 and will fight fiercely, emphasizing the need for unwavering fan support.
Flick attributed the first-leg struggles to a failure in executing their pressing strategy in the initial half, though he noted clear improvement after the break. Atletico Madrid’s goals came from an own goal by Eric Garcia, followed by strikes from Antoine Griezmann, Ademola Lookman, and Julian Alvarez. The decisive second leg is scheduled for March 4th at Camp Nou, with both teams facing demanding schedules before this pivotal encounter.