On a night that came as a shock to Barcelona fans, German coach Hansi Flick admitted his team had received a "harsh lesson" after their heavy 4-0 defeat to Atlético Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final. The match, played at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, saw Barcelona collapse unexpectedly in the first half, putting their future in the competition in serious jeopardy.
Match background and pre-match predictions
Barcelona entered the match under their new coach, Hansi Flick, who took over from Xavi Hernandez, amidst high hopes that he could return the team to winning ways, given his impressive record with Bayern Munich, where he won the historic sextuple. Matches between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are considered classics of Spanish football, combining Barcelona's attacking style and possession with the defensive solidity and organized counter-attacks for which Diego Simeone's team is renowned, making the match a focus of attention for fans worldwide.
Flick's statements and analysis of the defeat
In the post-match press conference, Flick made no secret of his disappointment with his players' performance, particularly in the first half, during which they conceded four goals. Flick stated, "We didn't play well as a team in the first half; we didn't play as a unit. The distance between the players was too great, and we didn't press effectively.".
The German coach, attempting to find a silver lining in the setback, added: “We received a harsh lesson in the first 45 minutes. Sometimes it’s good to receive such a lesson at the right time, and perhaps today was the right time for us to learn from it.” Flick emphasized that the performance improved in the second half, noting that there is a second leg in which the team will fight to come back. He said: “The second half was much better, and we have another match, and we will fight to win it.”.
Controversial refereeing adds to the bitterness of defeat
The drama of the match wasn't limited to the high scoreline; it extended to a major refereeing controversy in the second half when the referee disallowed a goal by Barcelona's young defender Pau Coparci after consulting VAR for offside. The decision took an excessively long time, reaching seven minutes, which angered Flick, who described the situation as "utter chaos.".
Flick commented angrily: “It’s a complete mess, a mess like that, and then they have to wait, I don’t know how many minutes, was it seven minutes? Oh my God! For me, when I saw the situation, it was clear there was no offside, but maybe they saw something different at the end. There was no communication, and that’s very bad.”.
Expected impact and future of Barcelona
This defeat represents a significant blow to Flick's project in its early stages and places immense pressure on the team ahead of the second leg in Barcelona. Domestically, the result raises questions about the Catalan defense's ability to compete against top teams, while simultaneously solidifying Atlético Madrid's status as a strong title contender. Internationally, the football world is watching closely to see how Barcelona, under Flick's leadership, recovers from this setback, which will be a true test of the team's character and the coach's ability to rebuild confidence before the upcoming challenges in La Liga and the Champions League.
