Atlético Madrid defeated FC Barcelona 4–0 on Thursday, February 12, 2026, in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final. In a dominant performance at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, Diego Simeone's side scored all four goals in a blistering first half to take a massive advantage into the second leg. In a night that will be etched into the annals of Spanish football, Atlético Madrid delivered a breathtaking masterclass of clinical aggression, dismantling FC Barcelona 4–0 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on Thursday, February 12, 2026. Under the lights of a raucous Riyadh Air Metropolitano, Diego Simeone’s side didn’t just win; they authored a first-half destruction so complete it left the La Liga leaders appearing unrecognizable. All four goals arrived before the halftime whistle, marking only the second time since 2004 that Barcelona has conceded four in a single half. A Comedy of Errors and Clinical Precision The nightmare for Hansi Flick’s men began in the 6th minute. In a sequence of pure calamity, Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García allowed a routine backpass from Eric García to roll under his foot, frantically chasing it in vain as it crossed the line for an own goal. Sensing blood, Atlético’s "four forwards"—as Simeone later hailed them—began a relentless assault on space. In the 14th minute, the evergreen Antoine Griezmann doubled the lead with a trademark low strike into the far corner. By the 33rd minute, Nigerian international Ademola Lookman made it three, slotting home from close range after a lightning-fast counter-attack. The final blow of the half came in stoppage time when Julián Álvarez ended a 13-match goal drought in spectacular fashion, rifling an unstoppable shot from outside the area into the top corner.
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VAR Controversy and Red Card Misery Barcelona emerged for the second half with renewed intent, and for a fleeting moment, believed they had found a lifeline. Pau Cubarsí turned the ball home in the 52nd minute, but the goal was chalked off following a grueling seven-minute VAR review for a marginal offside that left Flick fuming on the touchline. The visitors' misery was compounded in the 85th minute when Eric García was shown a straight red card for a desperate last-man tackle on Alex Baena, ruling the defender out of the return leg. The Aftermath: A Lesson Learned? Post-match, Hansi Flick was brutally honest, describing the first half as a "lesson" his young team must accept. "We didn't play as a team," Flick lamented. "The distances were too long and the pressing was absent". Conversely, Diego Simeone was jubilant, praising the "extraordinary effort" and energy of his squad. "This game will stay in our memories," Simeone said. "Our fans need big games like this". While the 4-0 scoreline suggests the tie is over, Barcelona’s history of "Remontadas" provides a sliver of hope for the second leg at the Spotify Camp Nou on March 3, 2026. However, without Eric García and potentially several other injured stars, the mountain has never looked steeper for the Blaugrana.
FC BARCELONA
