The attacking pair combined for a brilliant goal as the Blaugrana won at the Metropolitano to set up a mouth-watering meeting with Real Madrid
Barcelona secured their place in the Copa del Rey final as Ferran Torres' first-half strike secured a 1-0 win for Hansi Flick's side against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.
The second leg started out in much the same fashion as the 4-4 first-leg meeting, with both sides attacking at will, and Cesar Azpilicueta was the subject of a VAR review for a red card after fouling Raphinha within the first six minutes, but the referee opted to stick with his initial decision of a booking.
Before the half-hour mark, Ferran was sent through by a brilliant pass from Lamine Yamal, and the stand-in striker, replacing Robert Lewandowski, found the bottom corner with a smart finish to give Barcelona a 5-4 aggregate advantage.
On 40 minutes, Raphinha had another excellent chance for Barca as they again broke the offside trap, but his effort, from an angle, was well saved by Juan Musso.
At half-time, Atleti boss Diegoi Simeone introduced Alexander Sorloth, and he went close within five minutes, finding the side netting from close-range. The substitute striker then thought he had levelled proceedings in the 68th minute after springing beyond Ronald Araujo as the last man, but the strike was correctly ruled out for offside.
Atletico pushed and pushed, but they simply didn't have the quality to get in behind and find a leveller, and Barca will now take on Clasico rivals Real Madrid in the final on April 26.
GOAL rates Barcelona's players from the Metropolitano…
AFPGoalkeeper & Defence
Wojciech Szczesny (6/10):
Always in complete control of his area. Didn't have to make a save, as Atletico failed to have a single shot on target.
Jules Kounde (7/10):
Got forward regularly and has found a consistency to his deliveries into the box. Had to deal with Griezmann floating between the lines and did so well.
Pau Cubarsi (7/10):
Strong and composed defensively. As he's just back from injury, though, Flick opted to protect him and subbed him before the hour.
Inigo Martinez (7/10):
As strong and dogged as ever defensively. Slightly thrown by Sorloth's introduction, but stood his ground well against the big man.
Alejandro Balde (6/10):
Not able to offer quite the same amount of thrust as he usually does due to Atleti's high press. Fine defensively, but it was notable that he didn't offer as much in the final third.
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Frenkie de Jong (7/10):
A tidy, if understated, midfield performance. He allows others to do the flashy stuff, but without him, Barcelona's machine wouldn't run anywhere near as efficiently.
Fermin Lopez (7/10):
Buzzed forward whenever he could and linked well with Torres. Subbed before the hour for Araujo as Flick made a tactical adjustment.
Pedri (8/10):
Some gorgeous passes. One within a minute could have seen Yamal open the scoring, but his cut-back was well intercepted. He runs games, and while he couldn't quite dominate here, this was another fine midfield display.
AFPAttack
Lamine Yamal (9/10):
A gorgeous pass for Ferran set him away before he opened the scoring. Left bleeding by one challenge but kept going. He is utterly brilliant with the ball at his feet, and he unlocked this tie for Barcelona with a moment of magic. As a reminder, he's 17.
Ferran Torres (8/10):
Scored an excellent goal, timing his run perfectly and finishing coolly. Subbed for Lewandowski after some impressive work up front.
Raphinha (7/10):
Took a nasty knock from Azpilicueta in the first five minutes and Atletico targeted him continuously, such is his talent on the ball. Had a couple of chances but couldn't find a way to finish. Commendable that he was so willing to get on the ball, given the hosts' rough tactics.
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Ronald Araujo (6/10):
On for Fermin. Some strong clearances – one denying Atleti at the last – but his passing radar was somewhat off.
Eric Garcia (6/10):
Replaced Cubarsi. Clattered immediately and required treatment, but kept playing as Barca saw the tie out.
Robert Lewandowski (6/10):
Replaced Ferran with 20 minutes to go. Held the ball up when he could, but wasn't given a chance to shoot.
Gerard Martin (N/A):
On for Yamal for the last few minutes.
Hansi Flick (8/10):
Perhaps a little too defensive in the second half, allowing Atletico to carve out some chances, but Barca are into the final. A clean sheet at the Metropolitano should always be commended, and starting Ferran proved a masterstroke.
