Barcelona’s aspirations for a treble and their defense of the Copa del Rey title were extinguished. Despite achieving a 3-0 triumph at Camp Nou, their bid for an extraordinary comeback against Atletico Madrid, following the initial leg’s defeat, ultimately proved insufficient.
Diego Simeone’s squad had previously inflicted a heavy 4-0 defeat upon the Blaugrana during the first leg in Madrid. This setback meant Barcelona needed to re-enact their legendary Champions League display from 2017, when they famously triumphed 6-1 over Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg to nullify a four-goal disadvantage and advance.
It appeared for a considerable duration that a recurrence of ‘La Remontada’ was a distinct possibility. Two crucial goals from Marc Bernal, interceded by a Raphinha penalty, propelled them to the verge of forcing an extended period of play.
Nevertheless, the final 18 minutes of regular play after Bernal’s second goal, combined with the subsequent six minutes of added time, did not deliver the pivotal goal for Barca. Atleti, instead, managed to hold firm, thereby securing their place in the final against either Real Sociedad or Athletic Bilbao.