Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has admitted his team “didn’t play like a team” after suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat to Atlético Madrid in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final.
The La Liga leaders were overwhelmed at the Metropolitano Stadium, conceding four first-half goals as Diego Simeone’s side delivered a ruthless performance to take firm control of the tie.
“We didn’t play well in the first half as a team, we didn’t play like a team,” Flick told reporters.
“The distance between everyone was too long and we didn’t press how we wanted.”
The German tactician described the opening 45 minutes as a harsh but potentially valuable experience for his squad.
“In the first 45 minutes we were handed a big lesson. Sometimes it’s good to get that in the right moment, maybe today is the right moment,” he said.
Barcelona showed signs of improvement after the break but were unable to reduce the deficit. Flick insisted the tie remains alive ahead of the second leg.
“The second half was much better and we have one game more and we will fight to win that,” he added.
The match also featured controversy after defender Pau Cubarsí had a second-half goal ruled out for offside following a lengthy VAR review that reportedly lasted around seven minutes.
“It’s a mess… was it seven minutes? Oh come on,” Flick complained.
“For me, when I saw this situation it was clear there was no offside… but tell us. There was no communication and this is so bad here.”
The result leaves FC Barcelona facing a daunting task in the return leg, while Atletico move within touching distance of another Copa del Rey final under coach Diego Simeone.
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