According to a report by Football Espana on Thursday, February 12, 2026, Atletico Madrid delivered a ruthless performance in Riyadh as they dismantled Barcelona 4-0 in the opening leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final clash, taking firm control of the tie ahead of the return encounter.
The deadlock was broken after a costly error at the back from Barcelona. A poorly judged back-pass created uncertainty for goalkeeper Joan Garcia, and Ademola Lookman reacted sharply to pounce on the loose ball and guide it into the net for the opener.
Diego Simeone’s side wasted little time in extending their lead. Nahuel Molina drilled in a low cross which Antoine Griezmann gathered calmly before bending a fine effort beyond the reach of the goalkeeper. Barcelona found it difficult to steady themselves, with defensive vulnerabilities repeatedly exposed.
Atletico’s third goal arrived when Julian Alvarez combined neatly with Lookman, setting up the Nigerian forward to finish confidently for his second contribution of the evening. Alvarez then added his name to the scoresheet before the interval, unleashing a powerful long-range strike to make it four and cap a dominant first-half display.
Barcelona briefly thought they had a consolation goal after the restart through Pau Cubarsi, but VAR intervened to disallow the effort for offside. Matters deteriorated further when Eric Garcia was shown a red card following a review for a late tackle.
At full-time, Lookman was recognised as the standout performer and received the Man of the Match award. The Super Eagles attacker registered a goal, provided an assist, and played a role in forcing an own goal, underlining his decisive impact on the contest.