Atletico Madrid ran riot against Barcelona in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals on Thursday, sending a message that Diego Simeone's squad is a serious contender for the trophy. The game had a number of flashpoints, which mostly occurred in the first half as the hosts raced into a 4-0 lead. But one incident between Lamine Yamal and Simeone caught the eye. While Atletico led 3-0, Simeone made a pointed gesture toward Barcelona's 18-year-old winger, holding up three fingers to signify Atletico's lead. Yamal, who has gained a reputation for his bold attitude ahead of matches, especially against Real Madrid, found himself on the receiving end of Simeone's psychological gamesmanship. The young Catalan winger has previously sparked controversy with his pre-match antics, often drawing the ire of veterans like Dani Carvajal. The match itself started with a nightmare scenario for Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia. In the sixth minute, a back pass was mishandled, and while Pau Cubarsi scrambled to clear it off the line, Julian Alvarez's follow-up found Ademola Lookman, who buried the ball from close range. https://twitter.com/USER_ID/status/2022078666461917491 Atleti shows no mercy with clinical finishing Atleti doubled their advantage just eight minutes later. Juan Musso launched a long ball upfield which find its way to Antoine Griezmann, who calmly advanced into the penalty area and tucked the ball into the far bottom corner. The onslaught continued with 10 minutes left in the first half. Alvarez set up Lookman and the Nigerian forward fired a precise, first-time effort into the bottom corner. Just before halftime, Lookman turned provider this time, teeing up Alvarez for a thunderous strike that left Garcia with no chance. As the teams look ahead to the second leg, the challenge for Hansi Flick's squad is monumental. Atletico Madrid, under Simeone's tactical mastery, has sent a strong warning and it will take a small miracle to overturn the result at the Spotify Camp Nou.
