Atletico Madrid Dominates Barcelona with Stunning 4-0 Victory in Copa del Rey Semifinal First Leg

Kathmandu. Atletico Madrid registered a spectacular 4-0 victory over Barcelona in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal held on Friday. Atletico created aggressive pressure from the start of the match, displaying an excellent first-half performance at home.

Early in the game, Atletico took the lead after a backpass from Barcelona's Eric Garcia turned into an own goal, rolling under the feet of goalkeeper Joan Garcia. Then, in the 14th minute, the tournament's top scorer, Antoine Griezmann, doubled the lead by scoring against his former club.

In the 33rd minute, following a pass from Giuliano Simeone, Julian Alvarez advanced the ball and created an opportunity for Adama Ljuman, which Ljuman easily slotted into the net to complete the third goal. Alvarez added a fourth goal with a powerful strike from long range in first-half stoppage time, making the first half one-sided in favor of Atletico.

Although Barcelona showed some improved performance in the second half, luck was not on their side. A goal scored by Pau Cubarsí was ruled offside after an eight-minute-long VAR check, which was a major blow to the visiting team's comeback attempt.

Towards the end of the match, Eric Garcia was sent off with a red card after fouling Álex Baena. This put Barcelona under further pressure.

Last year, Barcelona won the title after emerging victorious in the same stage. However, this time Atletico took revenge with an excellent performance. The second leg will now take place on March 3 at Barcelona's home ground, where Barcelona faces a huge challenge for a comeback.