Barcelona suffered a crushing 4-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarter-final tie on Thursday, . The loss, described as Barcelona’s toughest of the 2025-26 season, raises serious questions about their form and prospects in the competition.
The match quickly turned sour for Barcelona, falling behind 3-0 within the first 33 minutes. Manager Hansi Flick responded by bringing on veteran forward Robert Lewandowski in the 37th minute, hoping to inject some life into the attack. However, even with Lewandowski on the pitch, Barcelona continued to struggle.
Barcelona conceded a fourth goal just before halftime, entering the break with a daunting 4-0 deficit. The second half offered little respite, despite a disallowed goal from Pau Cubarsi. The goal was ruled out due to Lewandowski being offside in the build-up, a frustrating moment for the team.
The Spanish media were scathing in their assessment of Barcelona’s performance, and Lewandowski’s contribution. Sport newspaper gave no player a rating higher than 5/10, awarding Lewandowski a meager 3/10. The publication noted he was a “panic option” for Flick, rarely touching the ball.
Mundo Deportivo echoed this sentiment, labeling Lewandowski as “irrelevant.” While acknowledging his introduction as a response to the early struggles, they stated he failed to significantly improve the situation. Marca gave Lewandowski a slightly more generous rating of 4/10, commenting that Flick didn’t even wait until halftime to bring him on, substituting Casado, who was already on a yellow card. They also highlighted the offside call that negated Cubarsi’s goal, adding that Lewandowski was “invisible” during his time on the pitch.
The defeat leaves Barcelona with a near-impossible task in the second leg, scheduled for . The return fixture will be played at 9:00 PM local time.
Beyond the scoreline, the match exposed deeper issues within the Barcelona squad. Lewandowski’s post-match comments, reported in December 2024, highlighted a recurring problem: a lack of confidence and composure in front of goal. He pointed to mistakes leading to Atletico’s counterattacks and a failure to capitalize on scoring opportunities. “I think We find several factors. Plus we made mistakes that Atletico exploited on the counterattack. I remember that we can play good football. We had chances, but we didn’t take them,” Lewandowski said, according to FCB World.
Lewandowski also acknowledged a broader trend of recent struggles, stating that the team had lacked “confidence and calm in the box in those decisive moments” over the past three weeks. He emphasized the importance of avoiding defeat even when a win isn’t achievable, a lesson he felt Barcelona failed to learn against Atletico. “Sometimes, if you can’t win, you should at least not lose the game. It happened to us several times in this round,” he added.
The loss to Atletico Madrid follows a 1-2 defeat at home against the same opponent earlier in the season, a match where Lewandowski also expressed frustration with the team’s performance. At that time, he identified mistakes as a key factor, particularly Atletico’s effectiveness on the counter. The recurring theme of errors and missed chances suggests a systemic issue that Flick is struggling to address.
Recent reports also suggest Barcelona is struggling without a consistent presence on the left wing, a tactical vulnerability that Atletico Madrid exploited. A Facebook post highlighted Atletico’s victory at the Nou Camp in La Liga, describing it as occurring in a “strange football scenario imaginable.”
The Copa del Rey defeat adds to the pressure on Flick, who is facing increasing scrutiny for Barcelona’s inconsistent form. The second leg against Atletico Madrid represents a critical opportunity for the team to salvage something from the tie, but the odds are heavily stacked against them. Lewandowski’s call for a stronger and more focused approach in the new year will be crucial if Barcelona hopes to turn their season around.
