Copa del Rey: Barcelona look for a miracle as Atletico aim to defend 4-goal lead in Camp Nou

Madrid, March 2 (IANS) FC Barcelona face a massive task on Tuesday when they face Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal, looking to overhaul a 4-0 deficit from the first leg.

Atletico ripped Barcelona to shreds in the first leg of the semifinal, with Giuliano Simeone and Ademola Lookman finding holes in the high defensive line and creating a host of chances in the first half to leave Hansi Flick side defeated and shell-shocked.

Three weeks down the line, Barcelona have recovered, with Raphinha fully fit once again, Lamine Yamal back to his best, and midfielder Pedri recovered from the hamstring injury that kept him out of the game at the Metropolitano Stadium.

In the dressing room, the players are saying that if anyone can come back from 4-0 down, it us, commented Pedri in an interview with the Spanish state TV network, RTVE, on Monday.

We have had games where we have been 2-0 down this season and pulled that back in just 20 minutes, so if we have 90 minutes, let see if we can do that with four goals, he added.

Barcelona would have taken confidence from an impressive 4-1 win over Villarreal on Saturday, inspired by a Lamine Yamal hat-trick, with Pedri and Marc Bernal pulling the strings in midfield.

Frenkie de Jong tore his hamstring last week and now misses the game, and Robert Lewandowski will be out on Tuesday after suffering a fractured eye socket against Villarreal, but Marcus Rashford will return after a substitute appearance on Saturday.

Atletico coach Diego Simeone rested several key players at the weekend, with defenders David Hancko, Marc Pubill, and Matteo Ruggeri all on the bench for the lucky 1-0 win in Oviedo. Giuliano Simeone and Julian Alvarez were also substitutes, along with Antoine Griezmann, Marcos Llorente, and Koke, and all will start on Tuesday night.

Last season saw the semifinal first leg between the two sides end in a thrilling 4-4 in Montjuic, this time Atletico will be thinking that all they need is to catch Barcelona once on the break, and it will leave the reigning Cup holders with a mountain that even it cant climb.

Real Sociedad defends a 1-0 first-leg lead at home to Athletic Bilbao in the second semifinal on Wednesday night.

--IANS

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