"Antoine is a historic player, a legend of Atletico Madrid. Nobody can take away that wonderful place he holds. He's giving everything he has to contribute. I hope I can repay him from the coach's perspective with that enthusiasm he inspires. He was outstanding. I loved Julian's pass to Lookman. That composure in the moment. That speaks of humility, leadership, vision... life rewards you later. He put in a lot of effort in the second half. We knew we had to revitalise the forwards' work."
"But Atletico were clinical as they played off Barcelona's high line, accumulating 2.3 expected goals (xG) from their 12 shots, eight of which were on target. Griezmann netted his fifth goal in the Copa del Rey this season, while Alvarez, who also provided an assist, scored for the first time since early December. Their 4-0 half-time lead marked just the second time Barca have conceded four goals before the break since at least the 2004-05 season. The other occasion was in the Champions League in August 2020 against Bayern Munich (an 8-2 defeat)."
Atletico Madrid produced a dominant 4-0 first-leg Copa del Rey semi-final victory over ten-man Barcelona, with goals from Griezmann, Lookman, Álvarez and an early Eric García own goal. Atletico accumulated 2.3 expected goals (xG) from 12 shots, eight on target, and threatened additional scores with a cleared Molina effort. Barcelona had a goal disallowed after a VAR check and Eric García was sent off late. Griezmann scored his fifth Copa del Rey goal of the season, and Álvarez scored for the first time since early December while also providing an assist.
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