Diego Simeone mocks Lamine Yamal during Atlético Madrid's crushing victory over Barcelona

The Copa del Rey match turned into one of the season's most defining moments-and it ended in the worst possible way for FC Barcelona. A shocking 4-0 defeat to Atlético Madrid, who now hold a massive advantage heading into the return leg.

One of the most talked-about moments of the game was undoubtedly Diego Simeone's gesture toward Lamine Yamal, making sure the young Barcelona star felt the weight of the scoreboard.

What did Diego Simeone say to Lamine Yamal?

After Ademola Lookman extended Atlético's lead to 3-0 around the 33rd minute, the Argentine coach held up three fingers directly toward the Barcelona attacker, reminding him of the three-goal cushion Los Colchoneros enjoyed at that point in the Copa del Rey clash.

This isn't the first time Simeone has made a similar gesture toward an opponent-recall what happened recently with Vinícius Jr., which even led to a public apology from the Atlético manager.

Several Spanish media outlets have interpreted the action as a clear provocation aimed at Barcelona's rising star, while Lamine Yamal chose to ignore the incident and continue playing.

After the final whistle, the Atlético Madrid coach commented:

"We know the team needs victories like this to build momentum for what's coming. We're fully aware of the quality of the opponent we face. There's still the return leg, but right now it's time to enjoy."

On the other hand, Lamine Yamal delivered a disappointing performance in this Copa del Rey match: no goals, no assists, a 73% pass completion rate, and zero shots across the full 90 minutes in what was a painful night for Barcelona.