The 4-4 draw with Atletico made it very clear for Barcelona fans that they could be the strongest team in Europe if they play with concentration and vice versa. With Atletico leading by 2 goals in just 6 minutes, everything seemed to have collapsed for Barca right at home. However, it was not until the 20th minute that Pedri and Pau Cubarsi equalized. That moment made the Cules explode in overwhelming emotions.
Captain Hansi Flick was very happy that his students had stood up in time, but he could not hide his anger when the team lost 2 goals in just 6 minutes. If Julian Alvarez had been more accurate in the aerial situation right at the start of the match, perhaps the opening goal had come to the away team in less than 20 seconds after the opening whistle.
Atletico scored twice, once Alvarez overcame Pedri. The second time was a quick counter-attack by the away team and was finished neatly by Antoine Griezmann. Center back Inigo Martinez was in a corner and asked his teammates to focus more. Because if that lack of concentration continues to recur, Barca can leave Copa Del Rey just after the first leg.
As if they were tinhing up and recognizing the danger in store, the Barca players took the entire squad and focused on defending to avoid further losses. After two goals from Pedri and Yamal, Blaugrana scored two more goals thanks to Martinez and Lewandowski. From a 2-goal lead, Barca scored a 4-goal streak to repeat the same gap with Atletico.
It seemed that the victory was within reach when Barca gathered again, but they lost their cool in the final minutes of the second half and dropped the victory. Marcos Llorente scored the third goal for Atletico from the edge of the penalty area in the 84th minute. Then, when the clock was only in the 3rd minute of injury time in the second half, Barca were defeated by a long pass forward. Samuel Lino passed the ball to Alexander Sorloth to finish, equalizing 4-4 for the away team. The two teams will play again at Wanda Metropolitano on April 2.
One of the biggest reasons for the two quick goals conceded at the end of the match was that in the final minutes, Barca continued to push up their defense. They should have lowered it to keep the penalty area secure as Atletico are pushing up to find a goal. This is the weakness of the young players in the Barca squad. They often go too much with comfort, leading to a lack of concentration when they are ahead at a large distance.
"We were the better team for most of the time but we needed to know how to handle the game in the final minutes like that. Barca had a chance to make it 5-2 but we couldn't put the ball in the net.
When we are focused, Barca will have a good chance and vice versa, everyone has to accept this result" - center back Inigo Martinez shared.
Such moments of lack of concentration once made Barca regret Atletico in the La Liga match in December 2024. In the Champions League, they lost 2 goals to Benfica in just 8 minutes. Against Atalanta, Barca also conceded 2 goals in just 12 minutes. Previously in September, Flick's team also conceded 2 goals in just 10 minutes.
Barcelona have suffered many failures in the same way but also enjoyed many glory when playing with concentration until the end. They need to maintain this attitude until the end of the season if they still want to win a certain title.
