Grounded at the Metropolitano: Barca's Early Blunder Sparks Copa del Rey Thriller

Match recap

The ball wasn’t moving normally and was headed toward Barça’s goalkeeper.

Atlético Madrid pounced to take a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute of the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg at the Metropolitano, following a misplayed touch by Barcelona’s Juan Garcia.

Analyst Marc Lopez told Cadena Ser: "The first mistake is on Eric Garcia; he should have played the ball sideways, then came the error from Juan Garcia. Garcia relaxed in the moment, a costly mistake."

Lopez added that pitch conditions may have played a part; the keeper was warming up on the same surface, so he had to stay alert, though surface issues clearly matter.

No video embed is included in this report; the match’s drama was evident even without clips.

What this means going forward

Barça will need a strong response in the return leg to avoid an uphill battle, while Atlético fans will hope the surface stays faithful in Madrid.