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THE MATCH
Atletico Madrid won 4-0 against Barcelona last night. The match was at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid on Thursday, February 12, 2026. This was the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final.
It was a terrible night for Barcelona. All four goals came in the first half. Atletico Madrid played very well and Barcelona made many mistakes.
THE GOALS
First Goal (6th minute)
Barcelona made a big mistake early in the game. Defender Eric Garcia passed the ball back to goalkeeper Joan Garcia. But the goalkeeper let the ball go under his foot! The ball went into the goal. It was an own goal and a very bad start for Barcelona.
Second Goal (14th minute)
Antoine Griezmann scored the second goal for Atletico Madrid. He played for Barcelona before, so this goal was special. He hit the ball into the bottom corner of the goal. Now Atletico were winning 2-0.
Third Goal (33rd minute)
Ademola Lookman scored the third goal. Giuliano Simeone passed to Julian Alvarez, and Alvarez gave a quick pass to Lookman. Lookman shot the ball past the goalkeeper. Barcelona were playing very badly.
Fourth Goal (45th minute - stoppage time)
Just before half-time, Atletico Madrid scored again. This time Julian Alvarez got the goal. Lookman made a good pass to him and Alvarez shot the ball hard into the goal. The first half finished 4-0!
THE SECOND HALF
In the second half, Barcelona tried to score but they could not. Atletico Madrid defended well and stopped Barcelona from getting any goals.
Barcelona had one more problem. In the 85th minute, defender Eric Garcia got a red card. He made a bad challenge on an Atletico player. The referee looked at the video and decided to send him off.
The match finished 4-0 to Atletico Madrid.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
This was only the first leg of the semi-final. The second leg will be on March 3 at Barcelona's stadium, Camp Nou.
Barcelona need to score at least four goals to stay in the competition. This will be very difficult. Atletico Madrid have a big advantage now.
If Atletico Madrid win this semi-final, they will play in the final in Seville in April.
MATCH STATISTICS
Statistic | Number |
Atletico Madrid possession | 31% |
Barcelona possession | 69% |
Atletico Madrid shots | 6 |
Atletico Madrid shots on target | 5 |
Barcelona shots | 2 |
Barcelona shots on target | 0 |
This shows that Atletico Madrid were much more dangerous when they attacked.
VOCABULARY GLOSSARY
Match Words
Word/Phrase | Meaning |
first leg | the first of two matches between the same teams |
second leg | the second of two matches (the return match) |
semi-final | the match before the final |
final | the last match in a competition |
stoppage time | extra time added at the end of each half |
red card | when a player must leave the game (sent off) |
own goal | when a player scores a goal against their own team |
defender | a player who tries to stop the other team from scoring |
goalkeeper | the player who protects the goal |
on target | when a shot goes towards the goal |
possession | control of the ball |
Action Words (Verbs)
Word/Phrase | Meaning |
scored | put the ball in the goal |
defended | tried to stop the other team |
passed | gave the ball to a teammate |
shot | kicked the ball towards the goal |
let (something) go | did not stop something |
send off | make a player leave the game |
Describing Words (Adjectives)
Word | Meaning |
terrible | very bad |
dangerous | likely to cause problems or score goals |
advantage | a better position than the opponent |
VOCABULARY QUESTIONS
True or False
1. The match was played in Barcelona's stadium.
TRUE / FALSE
2. All four goals were scored in the first half.
TRUE / FALSE
3. Barcelona had more possession (control of the ball) than Atletico Madrid.
TRUE / FALSE
4. Antoine Griezmann used to play for Barcelona.
TRUE / FALSE
5. Eric Garcia scored an own goal.
TRUE / FALSE
6. The second leg will be in Madrid.
TRUE / FALSE
7. Barcelona had more shots on target than Atletico Madrid.
TRUE / FALSE
8. Eric Garcia got a yellow card.
TRUE / FALSE
Fill in the Gaps
Choose words from the vocabulary list to complete the sentences:
1. The __________ stopped the ball going into the goal.
2. Atletico Madrid have a big __________ before the second leg.
3. Julian Alvarez __________ the ball to Ademola Lookman.
4. This was the first __________ of the semi-final.
5. The referee __________ Eric Garcia __________ in the 85th minute.
6. It was a __________ night for Barcelona - they lost 4-0.
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ANSWERS
True or False Answers
1. FALSE (It was in Madrid, at the Metropolitano Stadium)
2. TRUE
3. TRUE (Barcelona had 69%, Atletico had 31%)
4. TRUE
5. TRUE
6. FALSE (It will be in Barcelona, at Camp Nou)
7. FALSE (Barcelona had 0, Atletico had 5)
8. FALSE (He got a red card)
Fill in the Gaps Answers
1. goalkeeper
2. advantage
3. passed
4. leg
5. sent / off
6. terrible
