Barcelona suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Atlético Madrid in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal, a result that saw the Catalans taught a stark lesson by their rivals. The loss, secured at the Metropolitano, saw Eric García put the visitors ahead with an own goal before Antoine Griezmann and Ademola Lookman added further goals before Julián Álvarez completed the rout in first-half stoppage time. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick conceded his side were outplayed, stating they 'didn't play very good in the first half as a team' and had 'too much distance between everyone'.

The defeat leaves the return leg at Camp Nou on March 3rd as a must-win for Barça, who face the winners of the Real Sociedad vs. Athletic Club tie. Flick emphasized the need for a complete change in approach, criticizing both his team's lack of hunger and the refereeing decisions that compounded their misery, including a disallowed goal and a late sending-off for García. The result significantly shifts the balance of power heading into the second leg and raises questions about Barça's title challenge, overshadowed by their cup exit.