Barcelona head into Tuesday’s Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Atlético Madrid with wounds – but also faith.
At 4-0 from the first match, Hansi Flick’s team faces a monumental task at home. Still, the German coach insisted on Monday that his players are not ready to give up the title without a fight.
“We lost four goals and we have to make the impossible possible. That’s the goal,” Flick told reporters. “It’s not easy. But we won’t give up.”
Atlético stunned Barcelona with a devastating first-half display last month, scoring four times to hand the Catalans their first home clean sheet of the season. The result left Diego Simeone’s men on the brink of their first Copa del Rey final since 2012-13.
But despite the commanding advantage, Simeone refused to consider the tie a draw.
“We are thinking about the game ahead, against a very good opponent,” the Atlético manager said. “They attack, open up and play as a team, which makes them one of the most competitive sides in LaLiga and in Europe.”
Barcelona’s recent form offers Flick cause for optimism. The league leaders have scored seven goals in their last two games, including a Lamine Yamal hat-trick in a 3-1 win over Villarreal on Saturday. With 71 league goals this season, Barca remain the most powerful attacking team in Spain.
However, their hopes of a comeback have been complicated by injury. Striker Robert Lewandowski broke his eye socket against Villarreal and will miss the decisive second leg.
“We’ll have to manage Lewy’s absence,” Flick said. “We haven’t been very lucky. Losing players like him and others who can’t be there is a problem, but the team is handling it well.
Flick outlined the plan for what would be one of the club’s most dramatic turnarounds.
“It’s important to keep a clean sheet, but we have to believe in our strength and that we can achieve it,” he said. “For example, we need to score two goals in each half.
Containing Yamal will be central to Atlético’s defensive plan. The teenager’s late-game explosiveness has plagued opponents all season.
“He is a very good individual player, especially dangerous in the closing stages of the game,” said Simeone. “We have to put him where he feels most comfortable, which is defense.
Atletico, currently third in LaLiga and 13 points behind Barcelona with 12 games remaining, are also preparing for a Champions League round of 16 clash against Tottenham Hotspur. Simeone said he enjoys competing on multiple fronts.
“You always think in the summer, I wish we could compete for everything. We’re in a fantastic position now, fighting for what we want,” he said.
But for Barcelona, Tuesday is more than just another game. It is a test of character after humiliation.
“We have to push them, win duels and give them problems,” Flick said. “We can’t lose possession because they are very dangerous in transition. We have to play as one.”
Four goals down. Without their main striker. Against one of the most disciplined sides in Europe.
Barcelona knows the scale of the challenge.
But as Flick made clear, faith—not convenience—will dictate their approach.
And at Camp Nou, they will try to make something completely different out of the impossible.
– The end
Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
02 March 2026 23:34 IST
