Lookman, Atletico run riot as Barcelona crumble in Copa clash

In a stunning Copa del Rey semifinal at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, Atletico Madrid delivered one of their most emphatic performances of the season, thumping FC Barcelona 4-0 to take a commanding advantage in the two-leg tie.

Barcelona’s night turned ugly inside the first seven minutes when an innocuous back-pass from defender Eric García to keeper Joan García slipped under his foot and rolled into the net, an own goal that stunned the Catalan side and gave Atlético an early lead.

Antoine Griezmann then doubled the lead with a precise finish in the 14th minute, exploiting the shaken Barcelona defence.

The home side continued their dominance through quick transitions. In the 33rd minute, Julián Alvarez teed up Ademola Lookman, who drilled a low strike into the bottom corner to make it 3-0.

Before halftime, Álvares then added his own goal, blasting home a fierce strike during stoppage time to complete the first-half rout and leave Barcelona trailing by four at the break.

Barcelona struggled to gain any real momentum in the second half. Their only apparent reply came when Pau Cubarsí found the net, but after a lengthy VAR check the goal was disallowed for offside, leaving Barcelona stranded at 0-4.

Despite pushing for a consolation, the visitors couldn’t craft clear chances against a disciplined Atlético backline and a passionate home crowd.

Atlético’s convincing win gives them a huge psychological and tactical edge heading into the second leg, with Barcelona now needing to overturn a four-goal deficit to reach the Copa del Rey final.