Barcelona are through to the Copa del Rey final after beating Atletico Madrid 5-4 on aggregate.
Ferran Torres justified Hansi Flick’s decision to start him ahead of leading scorer Robert Lewandowski by scoring the only goal on the night and set up an El Clasico showdown with Real Madrid in Seville later this month.
Following a thrilling 4-4 draw in the first leg, and with the away goals rule no longer in the Copa del Rey, a draw was never going to be enough for either side to advance on the night without the need for a penalty shootout.
There had to be a winner on the night and Barca set about the task immediately as Lamine Yamal broke the offside trap, cut the ball back into the box but Jose Maria Gimenez was in the right place at the right time to make a timely clearance.
Then came a moment of controversy. After Cesar Azpilicueta was shown a yellow card for a foul on Raphinha, referee José Luis Munuera Montero was instructed by VAR to review the tackle via the pitch-side monitor.
Though, having done so, the official stuck with his initial decision, thus ensuring the experienced defender avoided a red card inside the opening 10 minutes.
The visitors broke the deadlock on the night just before the half hour mark when Yamal exquisitely picked out Feran’s run in behind the Atletico defence and he produced a fine finish to continue his red-hot form in front of goal.
Barcelona strike first in the second leg! 🔵🔴
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) April 2, 2025
Ferran Torres can't stop scoring, and what about that for a perfectly weighted assist from Lamine Yamal 👏 pic.twitter.com/c88oIpuqGp
A second should have followed for Barcelona before the end of the half as Yamal and Raphinha both went close, but with just one goal separating the two sides, it set up an intriguing second half.
Diego Simeone responded to a rather lowkey first-half showing from his side by making a triple half-time change, including the introduction of Alexander Sørloth who had scored in all three meetings against Barca this season ahead of the game.
Sørloth wasted no time in making his presence felt. After missing a guilt-edged chance to level the tie up, he did have the ball in the back of the net, only to be denied by the tightest of offside calls to cut his celebrations short.
Late goals had defined this fixture this season, but there was to be no late drama this time as Barca held on to secure their place in the 2025 Copa del Rey final as hopes of a treble remain alive.
