Barcelona edge past Atletico to set up Copa del Rey final against Madrid




Barcelona secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, sealing a 5-4 aggregate win to set up a blockbuster Copa del Rey final against arch-rivals Real Madrid.After an eight-goal thriller in the first leg, the return fixture at the Metropolitano was a tighter affair, with Ferran Torres’ first-half strike proving decisive.The visitors started strongly, with teenage sensation Lamine Yamal causing problems early on.READ MORE: C/R: Police officer drowns during anti-galamsey operationRecommended For YouSports2025-03-19T18:54:05+00:00Michael Essien believes Ghana should’ve won at least one trophy during his timeMichael Essien reflects on the Black Stars’ unlucky near-misses in major tournaments, admitting it still “hurts” that Ghana couldn’t win a trophy during his time. Here’s what he believes…Entertainment2025-03-19T16:31:11+00:00The 10 most streamed Ghanaian artistes on SpotifyAmaarae makes history as the most streamed Ghanaian artiste on Spotify with over 1.1 billion streams, leading a new wave of global success for Ghanaian music alongside Moliy, Black Sherif, and King Promise.Entertainment2025-03-19T17:24:38+00:00GTA spent enough on Afua Asantewaa to pay 500 Ghanaians’ salaries – HalifaxHalifax Ansah Addo challenges Afua Asantewaa’s claims of receiving little support during her Guinness World Record attempt, revealing the Ghana Tourism Authority allegedly spent over GHS 200,000—sparking questions of accountability and ungratefulness.He nearly teed up Raphinha for a simple finish inside two minutes before curling an effort wide moments later.Torres broke the deadlock in the 27th minute, latching onto Yamal’s incisive pass before coolly slotting past Atletico goalkeeper Juan Musso.Diego Simeone’s side struggled to test Barcelona’s defence in the first half but improved after the break.READ ALSO: CAF CL: Sundowns and Esperance fans clash in violent stands incident [Video]Alexander Sørloth fired into the side netting, while Musso kept Atlético in the game with a sharp save to deny Raphinha.Sørloth thought he had levelled late on, but his finish was ruled out for offside as Atletico failed to register a single shot on target all night.Barcelona held firm to secure their place in next month’s final in Seville, where they will meet Real Madrid in what promises to be a fiery El Clásico showdown.READ MORE: MLS bans Lionel Messi’s bodyguard from pitch over security concernsIt 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).Madrid will be seeking to edge out Barcelona after two defeats this season.