Copa del Rey Semi-Finals: Thrilling Draws and Upsets

The Copa del Rey semi-finals have delivered drama, comebacks, and upsets, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the tournament. Matches featured Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Inter Milan, and Arminia Bielefeld.

Barcelona vs. Atlético Madrid: An Eight-Goal Thriller

In a captivating first-leg semi-final at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid played out a 4-4 draw. Atlético Madrid started strongly with goals from Julián Álvarez and Antoine Griezmann within the first six minutes. However, Barcelona responded with goals from Pedri and Pau Cubarsí to level the score by the 21st minute.

Barcelona then took the lead, with Iñigo Martínez scoring in the 41st minute and Robert Lewandowski extending their advantage in the 74th minute. Atlético Madrid fought back, with Marcos Llorente scoring in the 84th minute and Alexander Sørloth equalizing in stoppage time. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick expressed his disappointment with the draw, particularly with the late goals conceded, but praised the team’s overall performance and mentality. He highlighted the need to improve defensively while maintaining their attacking prowess.

The second leg at Atlético’s Metropolitano Stadium promises to be another intense encounter. The winner will face either Real Madrid or Real Sociedad in the final.

Inter Milan Advances to Coppa Italia Semi-Finals

Inter Milan secured a 2-0 victory against Lazio in their Coppa Italia quarter-final, earning them a spot in the semi-finals. Marko Arnautovic scored a stunning volley in the first half, and Hakan Calhanoglu sealed the win with a penalty in the 77th minute. Inter goalkeeper Josep Martínez made a crucial save to deny Lazio an equalizer.

Inter will now face Milan in a two-legged semi-final in April. Piotr Zielinski expressed confidence in his team’s ability to compete against Milan, drawing on their past successes.

Arminia Bielefeld Stuns Werder Bremen in DFB Pokal

In a major upset, Arminia Bielefeld, a third-tier side, defeated Bundesliga club Werder Bremen 2-1 to reach the DFB Pokal semi-finals. Marius Wörl scored the opening goal for Bielefeld, and an own goal by Julián Malatini doubled their lead. Oliver Burke scored for Werder Bremen, but they could not find an equalizer.

Arminia Bielefeld have eliminated three Bundesliga clubs in a row, demonstrating their cup form. They join Bayer Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart in the semi-finals. RB Leipzig will play Wolfsburg for the final semi-final spot.

Barcelona Coach Hansi Flick’s Reaction

Despite the draw, Hansi Flick was happy with the overall performance. Flick said in his post-game news conference. “At the end, we are really disappointed about the result, but the game we played today was really great.

I think we dominated for 75, 80 minutes, I am very satisfied with this, how we played, how we came back. The mentality is fantastic. With the ball, this is for me the most important thing, I really like this. We are on a good way. So the focus is on the future and very positive.

Alexander Sorloth said about game “Such a good feeling playing in Barcelona. I think this is the fourth or fifth game I score against Barcelona here in Barcelona,” Sorloth said after the game. “Just an amazing feeling. Even when I woke up this morning, I just knew I was going to score, so it’s a good feeling.