Above all, the first half of yesterday’s Spanish Cup semi-final first leg will haunt everyone who supports Barca for a long time to come.
First, a catastrophic first touch by keeper Garcia led to an early deficit, then Griezmann, Lookman, and Alvarez put three more past the Catalans before the halftime whistle.
Advertisement
Four goals conceded, a defense in deep sleep, and numbers that show just how historically poor this first half from Barca really was:
The last time FC Barcelona trailed by four goals at halftime in a competitive match was in 1953. Back then, it was, of all teams, Real Madrid who handed them this defeat with a 0:4 in the league.
Three goals conceded within 33 minutes: a situation Barca hadn’t experienced since that pitch-black night against Bayern in the 2020 Champions League. Back then, Hansi Flick was also involved, but on the opposing team’s bench.
📸 Angel Martinez – 2026 Getty Images
New signing Joan García has already made four errors leading directly to a goal across all competitions since the start of last LaLiga season. In Spain, only Paulo Gazzaniga has a worse record in the same period (six), while David Soria matches the Spanish keeper’s tally.
Advertisement
Even though the second half was much more balanced and Barcelona even scored a goal that was disallowed after a lengthy VAR review, in the end, it was a clear defeat—one that Atletico fans celebrated almost as much as a title.
📸 Aitor Alcalde – 2026 Getty Images
On March 3, the Catalans will have a chance for redemption at home in the second leg. There’s still a glimmer of hope for a place in the final—after all, in football and especially in the cup, anything is possible.
However, it’s already clear that center-back Eric will not be able to take part. To make matters worse for Barca, he was shown a red card for a professional foul in the 85th minute.
Advertisement
What do you think—does Barca still have a chance at the final? Or is the dream of the title already over? Feel free to let us know in the comments.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.
Read the full article here
