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- Atletico Madrid 0-1 Barcelona (4-5 agg): Torres sets up Clasico in Copa del Rey final
Atletico Madrid 0-1 Barcelona (4-5 agg): Torres sets up Clasico in Copa del Rey final
Barcelona are through to the Copa del Rey final, with Ferran Torres getting the decisive goal against Atletico Madrid in the final four.
Barcelona will face fierce rivals Real Madrid in a mouth-watering Copa del Rey final after beating Atletico Madrid 1-0 on Wednesday to complete a 5-4 aggregate win.
Following an eight-goal thriller in the first leg of the semi-final in Barcelona, it was a much more understated meeting between the sides at the Metropolitano, with Ferran Torres netting the winner.
Barcelona started brightly, with Lamine Yamal almost setting up Raphinha for a tap-in in the second minute before he whipped a pacey effort wide just over 10 minutes later.
Torres got the decisive goal in the 27th minute; he was freed through the middle by Yamal and took the ball in his stride before striking a low shot into the bottom-left corner past Juan Musso.
Atletico managed just one shot in the first half but attempted to up the pressure after the break, with Alexander Sortloth firing into the side netting in the 52nd minute.
Musso then denied Raphinha from doubling Barcelona's lead with a fine save, and it looked like Sorloth had profited shortly after, but his strike into the bottom corner was chalked off for offside.
Diego Simeone's side failed to register a shot on target throughout the game, as Barcelona held on to secure a narrow win to book their ticket to the final in Seville later this month.
Data Debrief: Barca get the last word
This was the fourth meeting between Atletico and Barcelona in all competitions this season, and though Hansi Flick's side lost the first, they have shown their worth since.
Barcelona are unbeaten in their last eight meetings with Atletico in the Copa del Rey (W6 D2) and have progressed from four consecutive knockout ties against them - it is the first time they have managed such a run.
Torres dealt the decisive blow; of the players in Europe's top five leagues who have scored 10+ goals this season in all competitions, Torres is the player who needs the fewest minutes to score (81).
It means Barcelona will meet their old foes in the final, having already beaten Madrid to win the Supercopa de Espana this season.
It will be the eighth Copa del Rey final between Madrid and Barcelona (four titles for Los Blancos, three for the Blaugrana). The only fixture to be contested more times in a Copa del Rey final than El Clasico is Barcelona v Athletic Bilbao (nine).