Atletico Madrid move closer to Copa del Rey final as Griezmann, Lookman and Alvarez fuel 4-0 win over Barcelona

That wraps up our live blog coverage of Atletico Madrid's 4-0 victory over Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semifinals. See you next time!

Atletico Madrid secured a crushing 4-0 win over Barcelona in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal.

After bringing down Lamine Yamal once again, Matteo Ruggeri finally received a yellow card late in the game.

Ferran Torres headed narrowly wide from a corner, failing to pull a goal back for Barcelona.

After multiple VAR reviews, the referee has decided to add ten more minutes to the game!

Molina delivered a brilliant cross to find Sorloth, but the striker somehow failed to convert what should have been a simple fifth goal for Atletico.

After the exchange, Flick made another change: Fermin Lopez out, Gerard Martin in.

Dani Olmo made a strong challenge on Giuliano Simeone, sparking a brief confrontation between the two sides, with the Barca midfielder and Atletico defender Marc Pubill both shown yellow cards.

After a VAR check, referee Juan Martínez Munuera changed his decision and decided to send Eric Garcia off.

Alex Baena dispossessed Eric Garcia, who, as the last man, brought him down. Despite the cynical foul, Garcia escaped with only a yellow card.

Frenkie de Jong ended up being brought down by Alex Baena, who after cutting a promising counterattack, ended up being booked.

Still trying to cut into the deficit, Hansi Flick made a double substitution in defense, with Pau Cubarsí and Alejandro Balde coming off for Ronald Araujo and João Cancelo.

Adding more fresh legs to the pitch Simeone brings Thiago Almada in, replacing Ademola Lookman on the left side.

Diego Simeone makes the first substitutions for Atletico Madrid in the game: Antoine Griezmann and Julian Alvarez for Alex Baena and Alexander Sorloth.

In a discreet display by Yamal, Matteo Ruggeri brought the 18-year-old down.

Ruggeri, playing as a winger, saw his shot deflected by Eric Garcia, forcing Joan Garcia to tip the ball out for a corner.

After a grueling six-minute VAR review, Cubarsi's goal was disallowed: the defender was ruled offside following Lewandowski's final touch.

Referee Martínez Munuera stopped the game, waiting for the VAR to validate the goal over a possible offside.

A failed backheel from Ruggeri allowed Yamal to regain possession in a dangerous area, and when Marcos Llorente pulled him down, the challenge earned the home side a second yellow card.

On a well-worked set piece, Barcelona pushed for a goal, and Pau Cubarsí pounced on the rebound in the box to score the Blaugrana’s first.

Dropping from his attacking position, Giuliano Simeone made a slide tackle that brought Alejandro Balde down, earning the first yellow card for the Colchoneros.

With Ferran Torres drifting wide and delivering a cross from the left, Fermin López unleashed a powerful strike that was once again saved by Juan Musso.

Martínez Munuera blows the whistle, and the second half between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona at the Air Riyadh Metropolitano is underway.

Atletico Madrid are leading the Copa del Rey semifinal against FC Barcelona 4-0, with goals from Eric Garcia (own goal), Antoine Griezmann, Ademola Lookman, and Julian Alvarez.

Receiving a cross from the right flank, Lookman played a one-touch pass to Julian Alvarez, who unleashed a stunning strike from outside the box to extend Atletico’s lead to four.

Three more minutes will be played in the first half

With a great through ball, Fermin Lopez faced Musso one-on-one, but the Argentine keeper ended up winning the duel.

In less than 40 minutes of the first half, Hansi Flick decides to make the first substitution for FC Barcelona: Marc Casado out, Robert Lewandowski in.

With another through ball from Griezmann to Simeone, the winger found Alvarez in the box, and he quickly laid it off for Lookman, who finished first-time to score Atletico’s third goal.

After Simeone burst down the right flank at full speed, Griezmann met his cross but sent his right-footed finish wide, missing a clear chance.

Following a Dani Olmo free kick that hit the wall, Atletico began a counterattack with Giuliano Simeone, who ended up being tackled down from behind by Marc Casado, earning the yellow card.

Seconds after Griezmann's chance, Julian Alvarez was left facing the goal, and with a save on the line, Kounde blocks Atletico Madrid's third goal of the night!

Antoine Griezmann controlled the ball with his chest and made a half volley that got save by Joan Garcia.

After another dangerous corner kick, Fermin Lopez found a rebound on the box, and unleashed a strike that hit the bar.

After collecting a Barcelona corner kick, Juan Musso launched a long ball to Lookman, who switched play to the right flank to find Molina. Molina then played it to Griezmann, who finished quickly to extend the Colchoneros’ lead.

Following the opening goal, Atletico Madrid are now sitting in their own half, waiting for the moment to counter attack, with Barcelona dominating the possessions but struggling to get close to Juan Musso's box.

Trying to play out from the back, Eric García passed the ball to goalkeeper Joan García, but it slipped off the keeper’s foot and into the net, resulting in an own goal that gave Atletico Madrid the opener.

After winning the ball high up the pitch, Antoine Griezmann played a superb through ball into the box for Giuliano Simeone, but Joan García denied Atletico Madrid the opening goal.

Referee Juan Martínez Munuera blows his whistle, and the Copa del Rey semifinal between Atletico Madrid and FC Barcelona is underway!

With eight wins, one draw, and one loss in the last 10 meetings, FC Barcelona has held the upper hand against Atletico Madrid. However, in the Copa del Rey, the margin between the sides is much tighter.

Across the 49 matches they have played in Spain’s domestic cup, Barcelona has won 23 times, while the Colchoneros have done so 16 times, with 10 of those ending in draws.

Despite not having Raphinha, Marcus Rashford, or Robert Lewandowski in the starting lineup, Lamine Yamal is enjoying the best scoring stretch of his career, to the point that he could end up matching numbers from the Lionel Messi era.

Across the UEFA Champions League, Copa del Rey, and La Liga, Yamal is on a streak of five consecutive games finding the back of the net. If he scores against Atletico Madrid, the 18-year-old will become the first Barcelona player since Messi to score in six straight matches.

While Barcelona has already lifted a trophy in the 2025–26 season with the Spanish Super Cup, Atletico Madrid is aiming to do the same in the Copa del Rey. However, two other contenders still stand in the way of either side’s hopes of claiming the domestic cup.

Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao are the other Copa del Rey semifinalists. The Basque derby has already played its first leg, with Sociedad securing a narrow 1-0 away win, leaving the tie wide open ahead of the return leg on March 4 at Anoeta Stadium.

Despite being one of the best strikers of his generation and rediscovering top form in recent matches, Hansi Flick has opted to leave Robert Lewandowski on the bench. No injury issue has been reported for the forward, suggesting the decision points to a tactical adjustment in favor of Ferran Torres.

Juan Martínez Munuera will officiate Thursday’s Copa del Rey clash. The 43-year-old referee has overseen 37 Atletico Madrid matches (22 wins, 8 draws, 7 losses) and 34 Barcelona matches (22 wins, 6 draws, 6 losses), though this will be the first time he has taken charge of a meeting between the two Spanish giants.

Match officiating team:

Referee: Juan Martínez Munuera
First assistant: Guadalupe Porras
Second assistant: Miguel Martínez
Fourth official: Guillermo Conejero
VAR: Pablo González
AVAR: Juan Luis Pulido

Head coach Diego "Cholo" Simeone has also confirmed the starting lineup for the first Copa del Rey semifinal against Barcelona (4-4-2): Juan Musso, Nahuel Molina, Marc Pubill, David Hancko, Matteo Ruggeri; Giuliano Simeone, Marcos Llorente, Koke, Ademola Lookman; Antoine Griezmann, Julian Alvarez.

German boss Hansi Flick has confirmed the starting XI that'll be facing Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano (4-2-3-1): Joan Garcia; Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Alejandro Balde; Frenkie de Jong, Marc Casado; Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez, Dani Olmo; Ferran Torres.

After winning the 2026 Spanish Super Cup, Barcelona is now eager to secure a place in its second final of the season, with Atletico Madrid standing in its way. However, for the first leg, head coach Hansi Flick will be without several key players.

One of the already confirmed absences is Pedri, who has been ruled out until late February after suffering a muscle tear against Slavia Prague. In the past few hours, stars Raphinha and Marcus Rashford have also been added to Barcelona’s injury list, and won't be performing against Atletico.

Atletico Madrid and FC Barcelona's game will begin at 3:00 PM (ET).

You can watch the Copa del Rey match live on ESPN+.

Welcome to our live blog for the first leg of the 2026 Copa del Rey semifinals between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona. Stick with us so you don’t miss a single detail, with live minute-by-minute updates throughout the match!