Barcelona edge past Atletico Madrid to set up Copa del Rey final with Real Madrid

Unlike the thrilling first-leg tie in February, when Diego Simeone’s side twice scored late on in a dramatic 4-4 draw, this was a tighter and more tense affair without the grandstand finish from Atletico.

The hosts did have opportunities.

Substitute Alexander Sorloth elected to shoot instead of squaring the ball to Antoine Griezmann for a tap-in, while the Norway forward was also ruled offside after rattling in what he thought was an equaliser.

However, in truth, Atletico were second best to Hansi Flick’s side for long periods, with the record 31-time winners always appearing relatively comfortable as they extended their unbeaten run to 21 games across all competitions.

The Catalan club remain the only side in Europe’s top-five leagues yet to lose in 2025 and remain on course for a potential quadruple.

Barca, who have already won the Spanish Super Cup this term, lead the La Liga table by three points from Real Madrid.

They also host Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on 9 April (20:00 BST).

Meanwhile, the final against Carlo Ancelotti’s team in Seville will come just over two weeks before a potentially pivotal fixture between the clubs in the Spanish top flight.

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