Barcelona and Atlético Madrid played out an absolute Copa del Rey classic, ending in a thrilling 4-4 draw in the first leg of their semi-final tie on Tuesday evening.
The match was a wild ride, with both teams surrendering two-goal leads.
Atlético Madrid got off to a dream start, scoring twice in the opening six minutes through Julián Álvarez and Antoine Griezmann.
But Barcelona, under Hansi Flick, responded like champions, pulling level with goals from Pedri and Pau Cubarsí.
In the second half, Barcelona took control, scoring through Iñigo Martínez and Robert Lewandowski to go 4-2 up.
However, Atlético Madrid, never ones to give up, fought back with goals from Marcos Llorente and Alexander Sørloth, who scored the equalizer in stoppage time.
The tie is now perfectly poised ahead of the second leg at the Estadio Metropolitano on April 2.
As Atlético manager Diego Simeone put it, “This was a game of heart, of resilience. We never stop fighting, and that’s what makes this team special”
