Barça face mission impossible after Atleti humiliation - return leg details confirmed

Barcelona’s Copa del Rey defense is on life support after Atletico Madrid delivered a first-leg demolition job that’s left the Catalans needing a miracle in the return fixture.

First leg massacre

Thursday night at the Metropolitano turned into an absolute nightmare for Hansi Flick’s men. Atletico were utterly dominant in a magical first half that saw them tear Barcelona to pieces, leaving the visitors completely shell-shocked and without answers.

The 4-0 scoreline gives Simeone’s side more than just one foot in the final - it’s practically their whole body. Meanwhile, Barcelona, the current cup holders, face a mountain that makes Everest look like a gentle hill if they want to retain their title.

Return leg details

Despite the seemingly impossible task ahead, Barcelona will get their chance at redemption (or further humiliation) when the second leg takes place on Tuesday, March 3rd. The match will kick off at the same time as the first leg - 21:00 local time - but this time with the Camp Nou crowd behind them.

Whether that will be enough to inspire what would be one of the greatest comebacks in Spanish football history remains to be seen. Barcelona will need to be truer than ever to their footballing philosophy if they’re to have any chance of turning this tie around.

Cup final picture

While Barcelona and Atletico complete their semi-final on March 3rd, we’ll have to wait until the following day to discover who will face the likely winners of this tie. Athletic Club and Real Sociedad will settle their Basque derby on Wednesday, March 4th, with La Real currently holding a 1-0 advantage from their first leg.

Based on current form, you’d have to say Atletico are already measuring up their suits for the big day - but as we know in football, stranger things have happened. Though I’d bet my dog and bone that Simeone’s men won’t let this one slip.