Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid LIVE Updates: The second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals begins (0-0)

Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea blows his whistle, and the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal between FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid is underway!

The 4-0 first-leg defeat was a humbling result for a Barcelona side that had entered the season with confidence after lifting the Spanish Super Cup. Yet with the Camp Nou — limited to a capacity of 45,401 for Tuesday's match — buzzing with anticipation, the dream of a Remontada is keeping fans on the edge of their seats ahead of what could be another unforgettable night.

Barcelona will be looking to replicate one of the most iconic moments in their recent history: the 2017 Champions League night when they overturned a 4-0 first-leg deficit against Paris Saint-Germain with a breathtaking 6-1 victory, starring Lionel Messi and Neymar.

Barcelona and Atlético Madrid will determine the first finalist of the 2025-26 Copa del Rey on Tuesday at the Camp Nou, with the winner having to wait until Wednesday to learn their opponent in the final.

In the other semifinal, Real Sociedad secured a narrow but crucial 1-0 victory over Athletic Club in the first leg at San Mamés, and the tie will be settled on Wednesday, March 4, at the Reale Arena.

Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea will take charge of Tuesday's Copa del Rey clash. The 39-year-old has overseen more Atlético Madrid matches than any other club in his career — 38 in total, with a record of 25 wins, seven draws and six losses — while he has also refereed 34 Barcelona matches, during which the Blaugrana have gone 28 wins, one draw and five losses.

Notably, his most recent Barcelona vs. Atlético Madrid assignment also took place at the Camp Nou, on December 2, 2025, with the hosts coming out on top 3-1.

Match officiating team:

Referee: Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea
First assistant: Iker de Francisco
Second assistant: Asier Pérez
Fourth official: Francisco José Ortega
VAR: Daniel Jesús Trujillo
AVAR: Javier Iglesias

Barcelona need to score at least four goals just to force extra time — no small feat against an Atlético Madrid side that boasts the second-best defensive record in La Liga, having conceded just 23 goals in 26 games.

Yet head coach Hansi Flick remains confident that his team, with the backing of their fans, can turn the tie around. “We are four goals behind and we have to make the impossible possible. That is the objective. It’s not easy. However, we will not give up. It is important to keep a clean sheet, but we must believe in our strength and that we can achieve it ... You must always believe. For example, in each half we need to score two goals," he said on Monday's press conference.

"We have to be smart. We must press them, win the duels and make things difficult for them. We cannot lose possession, as they are very dangerous in transitions." Flick also drew encouragement from the performance against Villarreal and stressed the importance of collective effort: "We have to play as one, especially tomorrow."

Head coach Hansi Flick picked the eleven players that'll be looking for the epic "Remontada" against Atletico Madrid from the start (4-2-3-1): Joan Garcia; Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Joao Cancelo; Marc Bernal, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez, Raphinha; Ferran Torres.

One of the key figures to watch in the second leg will be Lamine Yamal, who was kept quiet in the first game by Matteo Ruggeri's tight man-marking — a battle that is set to resume on the right flank once again. The 18-year-old heads into the match on the back of his first career hat-trick against Villarreal, a milestone he reached several years earlier in his career than club legend Lionel Messi.

Following that performance, Yamal spoke about Barcelona's chances of turning the tie around: “It was time to react and give ourselves a push. We’re doing that now. And I want to tell our fans… come to the stadium against Atleti — magic can happen.”

Barcelona's morale remains high despite the 4-0 first-leg defeat, with the club firmly focused on engineering what they have been calling the "Remontada" for days. However, their hopes have taken a significant hit, with Robert Lewandowski and Frenkie de Jong both ruled out for Tuesday's second leg against Atlético Madrid.

Alongside the Polish striker and the Dutch midfielder, Gavi and Andreas Christensen are also sidelined through injury, while Eric García will sit out after being shown a red card in the 85th minute of the first leg.

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