What a night, red and white!
Long after the final whistle, the Atlético players returned to the Metropolitano pitch. They sang with the fans, they jumped, they danced. The excitement was palpable. It was more than a pass to the semifinals; It was confirmation of a spirit that never gives up.
How did they achieve it? They resisted Barça’s initial storm. They lost 2-1 at home, but 3-2 on aggregate gave them the ticket. It is his first time in the semis since 2017. A decade of waiting ended with character.
“It’s been 14 years now. Continuing to see how this team competes excites me,” said a visibly moved Diego Simeone. “We have started again a lot of times and we are again among the four best in Europe.”
El Cholo has been in charge since 2011. He knows what it is to fall and get up. Now they are looking for that continental title that has eluded them so much.
Details of an epic battle
Barça came out like a hurricane. Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres scored in the first 24 minutes, tying the tie. But this Atlético has an answer.
Ademola Lookman scored before half-time to restore the aggregate lead. Then, at 79′, Eric García saw red for stopping a clear escape from Sorloth. Playing with one less weighed down Barcelona.
“We played a very good game, we left our lives out there,” acknowledged Frenkie de Jong. “Luck was not on our side this time.”
There was more drama: a goal disallowed for offside by Torres, a last chance by Araújo that went over… It was a nervous game until the end.
The key: mentality. Koke summed it up perfectly: “Extremely happy to eliminate a team with a lot of quality. It was difficult for us at the beginning, but we found a way to recover.”
Now they look ahead. Arsenal or Sporting Lisbon await in the semifinals. But first, on Saturday, there is another final: the Copa del Rey against Real Sociedad.
The week could be historic. The European dream is still alive, and this time it seems they are serious.
