Barcelona narrowly edged Atletico Madrid 1-0 in the Copa del Rey semi-final to set up a highly anticipated Clasico showdown against Real Madrid in the final.
Ferran Torres secured victory at the Metropolitano Stadium on Wednesday, sealing a 5-4 aggregate win for the Catalans after an exhilarating 4-4 draw in the first leg.
Record 31-time Copa del Rey winners Barcelona controlled much of the game, while defeat leaves Diego Simeone’s Atletico with little to fight for in the remainder of the season.
Barcelona, chasing a potential quadruple, extended their unbeaten streak in 2025 to 21 matches. Atletico were the last team to defeat them, winning before Christmas to briefly top La Liga, but they now trail Hansi Flick’s side by nine points with nine games left.
“We can’t relax, we have to keep believing and working with humility, and I’m sure good things will come,” Torres told Movistar.
“If a final is already a huge motivation, imagine playing against your biggest rival.”
Real Madrid secured their spot in the final after eliminating Real Sociedad 5-4 on aggregate following a thrilling 4-4 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.
Hansi Flick restored Raphinha to Barcelona’s starting XI, and Atletico sought to neutralize him with physical play. Cesar Azpilicueta was booked for a challenge that survived a VAR review for a potential red card, while Rodrigo de Paul also saw yellow for a tough tackle on the Brazilian.
On the opposite flank, teenage sensation Lamine Yamal orchestrated much of Barcelona’s attacking play, narrowly missing the target and setting up Jules Koundé, who juggled past Robin Le Normand before blasting over.
The 17-year-old then played a key role in the decisive goal, delivering a well-weighted pass to Torres, who clinically finished past Jan Oblak to send Barcelona into the final.
