Atlético Madrid booked their place in the Copa del Rey final despite losing 3-0 to Barcelona in the second leg of their semifinal at Camp Nou.
The first-leg advantage proved decisive, as Atlético carried a four-goal cushion from their February clash.
Barcelona started strong, and Marc Bernal opened the scoring for the hosts, followed by Raphinha’s penalty to make it 2-0 at halftime.
Bernal completed his brace in the 72nd minute, but Atlético held firm to secure a 4-3 aggregate victory.
Atlético will now face either Real Sociedad or Athletic Bilbao in the final on April 18.
Barcelona looked dangerous early on, but an injury to Jules Kounde in the 13th minute disrupted their rhythm.
Raphinha’s low strike narrowly missed, while Ferran Torres fired wide. Lamine Yamal’s cross led to further attempts, with Juan Musso keeping Atlético in the contest with key saves.
“Maybe it wasn’t our best match, but it was a game of 180 minutes,” said Atlético goalkeeper Juan Musso. “They had everything going their way, but we suffered when we had to suffer. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but we made it to the final.”
Atlético’s first clear chance came from Antoine Griezmann, but Joan Garcia denied him.
Barcelona then took the lead in the 29th minute as Yamal’s low cross found an unmarked Bernal, who finished first-time. Raphinha’s header went wide, and Griezmann later struck the woodwork, but offside nullified the threat.
A penalty awarded after Pedri was fouled allowed Raphinha to double Barcelona’s lead just before halftime.
“We knew it was going to be a tough match. It’s not easy to overcome a 4-0 defeat,” Raphinha said. “But I’m proud of the team. We gave everything from the start, and I think we deserved it after our performance.”
The second half saw Barcelona press relentlessly, with Julian Álvarez testing Garcia and Musso producing crucial saves from Raphinha’s free-kick.
Bernal scored again in the 72nd minute, but Atlético survived a late onslaught to seal their passage to the final.
Alexander Sørloth and Gerard Martin had late chances for Barcelona, while Yamal’s curling effort missed narrowly.
Atlético held on, ending the suspense and confirming their spot in next month’s Copa del Rey showpiece.
