FC Barcelona have produced some remarkable comebacks over the years, but they face a monumental task when they host Atlético Madrid in the second leg of this Copa del Rey semi-final. In a first half performance to forget, they were torn apart by Diego Simeone’s rampaging red-and-whites.

the game as it happened

All four Atlético goals came in the first 45 minutes, and an uncharacteristically idea-less Barça failed in their mission to at least get something back in the second. The task was made even harder after Eric García’s red card reduced them to ten men.

There’s no denying that Atlético already have one foot in the final, but all is not lost. If any team is capable of turning around a result like this it’s FC Barcelona. We’ll have to wait three weeks to see if the magic that didn’t happen today will happen on March 3.

Double trouble

These two teams have produced some extraordinary cup ties over the years, and the early goals in this one suggested we were in for more of the same. We were indeed in for a historic evening, but sadly in favour of the wrong team.

A year ago, Atlético Madrid stormed into a 2-0 lead against Barça in a semi-final first leg, and here it happened all over again. Moments after a brilliant stop to deny Giuliano Simeone, Joan García blundered a simple back-pass from his namesake Eric. The keeper frantically chased the ball down but got there a fraction of a second too late and the home side were ahead after just seven minutes.

It took just another seven minutes for Atlético to double their lead. A series of rapid passes ended with former blaugrana Antoine Griezmann firing into the net.

It gets worse

Twelve months before, the Barça reaction had been immediate and by half-time they were already 3-2 ahead. Sadly history wasn’t going to be repeating. For the first 45 minutes Atlético overwhelmed Barça with energy, intensity and speed, and by the interval they had scored two more.

On 33 minutes, there new Nigerian acquisition Ademola Lookman was on the end of a quick counter attack to make it three, and in first half injury time Julian Alvares struck an unstoppable shot from outside the area and into the top corner for Atlético’s fourth.

Historic reverse

Fermin Lopez did have a couple of fine chances for Barça, one hitting the crossbar and the other expertly blocked by Juan Musso, but otherwise the Catalans were well out of the contest. It was the first time since 1943 that they had been four goals down in a cup match.

There’s no getting away from the fact that Atlético were 4-0 up because they were playing fantastic football. Barça, sadly, were not. For not only had Atlético scored four goals, but they had missed three or four very clear opportunities to get even more.

Eric sees red

Winning this game was already looking like an impossibility. But with this being a two-legged affair, every goal Hansi Flick's men could get back would help the cause when the action resumes at Spotify Camp Nou.

Infuriatingly, Pau Cubarsí did find the net mere seconds into the second half only to learn after a maddening seven-minute wait that it had been over-ruled for the most pedantic of offside calls.

That could have been the start of a Barça fightback, but instead, try as they could they created very little in the way of real threat in the second half, and the situation went from bad to worse when Eric García saw red for a last-man tackle on Alex Baena.

Atlético had gone somewhat off the boil in the second half too, but playing against ten they charged again and Alexander Sørloth could have scored his team’s fifth but missed from a metre out.

Tonight was the lowest point of Barça's season so far. The good news is they still have the chance to turn things round. But with Atlético having a four-goal head start in the second leg, it's going to be very, very difficult indeed. But not impossible. Let's believe!

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