FC Barcelona is on the verge of the Cup! The background that fuels the dream

The FC Barcelona once again stormed the Riyadh Air Metropolitano to eliminate the Atlético de Madrid from the Copa del Rey and qualify for the grand final of the tournament. After the 4-4 achieved in Montjuïc in the first leg, Diego Simeone had the chance to knock the culés out of the competition for the first time since he took charge of the colchonero team, but a goal from Ferran Torres buried the hopes of the Madrid team.

In the two previous encounters between both teams, the azulgranas emerged victorious and ultimately lifted the trophy. The Barça team under Luis Enrique was responsible for these two feats in the 2014-2015 season, when they eliminated them in the quarter-finals, and in 2016-2017, where they did the same in the semi-finals. On April 26, the Catalans have the opportunity to add another title after eliminating the rojiblancos, although the Real Madrid will try to break the streak.

2014-2015: The beginning of a cup nightmare for Simeone

The first major elimination of Atlético de Madrid under Diego Simeone at the hands of Barcelona in the Cup came in the 2014/15 season, in the quarter-finals. This matchup set the tone for what would be a complicated relationship between both teams in the tournament. Under the direction of Luis Enrique, the culé team arrived with a lethal attacking trident formed by Messi, Suárez, and Neymar, while the colchoneros, at their defensive peak, sought to reaffirm their strength after winning the Liga title in 2014.

In the first leg, the azulgrana team won 1-0 with a goal from Lionel Messi in the 85th minute, after a rebound in the area that the Argentine turned into pure gold. Atleti fought tooth and nail, true to their coach's style, but could not prevent the score from tilting in favor of the hosts.

The rojiblancos sought a historic comeback in the return leg, which took place at the now-defunct Vicente Calderón. Although goals from Fernando Torres and Raúl García excited the Madrid fans, the Catalans responded and secured the victory and qualification to the semi-finals thanks to a brace from Neymar and an own goal from Miranda. After eliminating Villarreal in the next round, the team would be crowned champions after defeating 3-1 Athletic Club in the final.

2016-2017: Heart-stopping semi-finals and an unstoppable Barcelona

Two seasons later, in 2016/17, Barcelona faced Atlético and 'Cholo' Simeone again, this time in the semi-finals. With the Asturian coach still at the helm, the blaugranas arrived as favorites after a successful 2016, while the Madrid team sought their first cup final since 2013.

In the first leg, the colchoneros hosted the culés at the Vicente Calderón. The Catalans struck quickly: Luis Suárez opened the scoring in the 7th minute with a right-footed shot after a great individual play, and Messi doubled the lead in the 33rd minute with a long-range shot that surprised Moyá. Atleti reacted in the second half with a goal from Antoine Griezmann (59'), but the final score of 1-2 left the tie open.

In the return leg, held at the Camp Nou, the blaugrana team sealed their passage to the final. The 'pistolero' was decisive again, scoring in the 43rd minute after a pass from Messi, and despite Kévin Gameiro leveling the score in the 83rd minute, the rojiblancos could not achieve the feat and were eliminated once more. Luis Enrique's team would ultimately conquer the title by defeating Alavés 3-1 in the final.

How many Cups has Barça won after eliminating Simeone's Atlético?

Now, 8 years later, with Hansi Flick on the bench and a team led by young stars like Pedri and Lamine Yamal and veterans like Lewandowski and Raphinha, Barça has established itself as the nemesis of Atlético and 'Cholo' in the Cup after knocking them out in a series filled with emotions and goals. This elimination was a heavy blow for the Argentine coach, whose team saw their last chance for a title vanish in a difficult season, while the culés dream more than ever of a treble.

In the two times the blaugranas have eliminated the rojiblancos led by Simeone in the Copa del Rey, they have won the title on two occasions:

• 2014-2015: After the 4-2 in the quarter-finals, Barça defeated Athletic 3-1 in the final.
• 2016-2017: With the 3-2 in the semi-finals, the culés prevailed 3-1 against Alavés in the final.

On April 26 at La Cartuja, the Catalans will have the opportunity to increase this statistic against the Real Madrid. Additionally, of the 6 times the azulgranas have eliminated the indios in semi-finals throughout history, the tournament champion has emerged 5 times, so the history invites to believe in another culé triumph.