Eight goals, overtaking, magic: a crazy Barça-Atletico ends in a draw, cup verdict postponed

A match without a master, crazy, magnificent, unresolved: 5 goals in the first half, 3 in the second and verdict postponed to April 2 at the Metropolitano. In the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final, Barcelona and Atletico drew 4-4 in an absurd match, out of control, electric from the first to the last minute: the opening goal after 47 seconds, the closing goal in the 93rd minute. Atletico ahead 2-0 and down 4-2: as mentioned, no logic. Atletico had won 2-1 in Barcelona in La Liga on December 21, the last defeat of the Catalans.

As in the eighth-finals and quarter-finals, Flick rests Lewandowski using Ferran Torres and prefers Dani Olmo and De Jong to Gavi and Casadò. In goal, Szczesny, who plays in all competitions, while Simeone uses the cup goalkeeper, the former Atalanta player Musso. In the middle of the field, trust in Pablo Barrios, who has been very negative lately, and Gallagher instead of the more offensive Samu Lino. The match has a crazy start that dictates the line of the surreal evening.

After 20 seconds Julian Alvarez forces Szczesny to a great save, corner, cross from Griezmann touched by Lenglet and twentieth goal of the season by Julian Alvarez after just 47 seconds. And in the 6th minute a mistake by Kounde launches the counterattack of the Argentine 'spider': perfect ball for Griezmann who skips Balde and bends the soft hand of Szczesny for 2-0, his first away goal at Barcelona after 17 games. From there a new game begins, dominated by Barça who in 99 seconds between the 19th and 21st minute reaches the equaliser with a flat shot by Pedri with the eighth assist from Kounde launched by Lamine Yamal and a header by Cubarsí that at the far post towers over Barrios on a corner from Raphinha. For the 18-year-old centre-back first goal as a professional, after 63 games. Ferran Torres missed two goals, a save by Musso and a save in an empty net by Gimenez, but before the break a 'remuntada' was completed by Barça with a goal that was a carbon copy of the second: a corner by Raphinha from the right, and the Brazilian's 16th assist, a header by Iñigo Martinez who was all alone on the far post also due to a block by Cubarsí on Marcos Llorente which led to great protests from Atletico. However, after the initial flash, they quickly disappeared, leaving the field and the ball to Barça.

Simeone made several changes, Atletico improved but after a goal disallowed for Sorloth due to Marcos Llorente's offside, they paid again for their defensive fragility: Lamine Yamal skipped past Reinildo and served Lewandowski a tap-in into an empty net for the Pole's 33rd goal in 36 outings this season. It seemed like a final blow, but Marcos Llorente gave his team a boost in the 84th minute with a powerful right-footed shot assisted by Correa. And in the third of the 4 minutes of injury time, the Norwegian Sorloth, who had given his team the 3 points in the 96th minute in La Liga at Montjuic, closed the game on a cross from Samu Lino with this incredible 4-4, scoring for the fifth consecutive match against Barça. The magic of the cup. And the faith of Atletico, who have reached 13 goals in injury time this season.