Torres sends Barcelona after Atlético and to Clásico Copa del Rey Final | Copa del Rey

More than a decade later, the Copa del Rey will have a Clásico final. Barcelona first played, then they resisted, deleting in an expert way the brief rebellion of Atlético Madrid in the Metropolitano, and together these two halves, these two faces, crossed them. A first wild and open step, 4-4 in Montjuic, gave way to a second tightened by a single goal of Ferran Torres. Seville awaits the biggest rivals in football, both to continue a hat -trick. “The dream is authorized,” said Hansi Flick, “but we will have to work hard. At the club, they have a lot of space for more titles.”

For the Diego Simeone team, in the meantime, it was the end. In the five weeks following the first stage of this semi-final, a season that had settled to be superb in place of Atlético, the three main competitions disappeared. Since then, they have only won one of the five games, and it was the second floor of the Champions League during which Madrid knocked them down in penalties. They also slipped nine points from the top of the liga and now their cutting race is over. They had taken their opponents to the line but could not rely themselves. “There is nothing to blame,” said the coach.

Here, perhaps, there could have been. Then, José María Giménez apologized for the way Atlético had played in the first half. His manager said that it was not necessary to say sorry and rightly insisted that they had “contributed” after the break. But while the substitute Alex Sørloth had a potential equalizer excluded for the offside, and although they sent the goalkeeper Juan Musso for a corner in the 94th minute, some still hope there in the very end, in the end, they had not succeeded in the target.

Aside from a brief storm, Barcelona had checked this and in two different ways. “You must also defend yourself and we did it very well,” said Flick. “Not only with the ball, but also against the ball – and it’s teamwork.”

The beginning suggested another wild and open game, Lamine Yamal escaping to the right at one end and Marcos Llorente doing the same. Some ferocious early challenges also gave it an advantage. The game, although quickly installed in a model imposed by Barcelona, ​​the balloon, played with patience but insistence.

While Barcelona quickly moved it through the midfielder, Pedri was at the heart of all this, his fluid and precise movement. By his side, Frenkie de Jong excelled. The third midfielder, Fermín has once again impressed, all sharp and incisive races just in front of them. But when the movements accelerated and the threat became more real, they tended to do it at the feet of Lamine Yamal.

Not so much because he ran on people this time, although he did it, and a change in his hips is often enough to send adversaries in the other direction. Not because he was there to finish the movements either, although at 11 minutes, another quick exchange saw him fold a blow just after the distant post. But more because of his eye for a pass and his ability to execute it, an awareness of everything that happens around him, his decision making always impeccable.

Little by little, Barcelona pushed Atlético more deeply; Little by little, they also chose their path around them. A beautiful exchange between torres, Pedri and Raphinha leaves torres free until Robin the Norman intervenes to stop him. A lamin Yamal recovery pass then sent Jules Koundé to the region. Fermín was the next player to see a final pass falling a short fraction. And then Barcelona took the lead, Lamine Yamal delivering an inclined bullet in the area where Torres slipped and beat Musso.

Barcelona was entirely in control now, Raphinha seeing a free kick loop and another effort blocked by Musso.

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All of Atlético had been a floating Norman header, reaching the half-time that the gap was just one. Simeone presented Clement Lenglet, Javi Galán and Alex Sørloth at the break, the second half starting with a volley by Antoine Griezmann. It seemed different now, and the fans also felt it, the noise rises. The roof almost turned when Rodrigo de Paul slipped to Sørloth. One against a against Wojciech Szczesny, the opening of the goal, the Norwegian shot hit the lateral net.

Atlético was operational now. And, although a superb push of the consciousness of Lamine Yamal and Fermín opened a chance for Raphinha who could have finished there, but for a backup of Musso, Flick reacted to close the spaces, his team falling deeper, the replacements Eric García and Ronald Araújo intended to play key roles. The counting is also increased, Barcelona engaging more than in any match this season. The score has not changed, Sørloth taking place on Julián Alvarez’s film to break with 20 minutes to go, only to see the lifted flag.

And that turned out, that was. The margin remained well, Hope held up to the last, but the triumph remained again out of reach for Atlético. For Barcelona, ​​it is a Clásico Far, and it may be just the beginning.