Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona live: Watch goalkeeping howler and Griezmann goal as hosts score twice early in Copa del Rey tie

Home / Football Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona live: Watch goalkeeping howler and Griezmann goal as hosts score twice early in Copa del Rey tie Watch Atleti's early goals vs Barca in the Copa del Rey Written by Ben Miller Last Update: February 12, 2026 08:28:14 pm GMT 5 min read Joan Garcias early blunder gifted Atletico Madrid a sixth-minute lead against Barcelona as the La Liga sides met at the Metropolitano in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on Thursday. Goalkeeper Garcia allowed Eric Garcias routine backpass to roll under his foot, narrowly crossing the line for an embarrassing own goal. Shortly beforehand, Garcia brilliantly denied Giuliano Simeone in a one-on-one by turning the forwards shot behind after Antoine Griezmann had slipped him through on goal.But Barcas predicament worsened when an incisive Atleti move culminated in Nahuel Molina feeding Griezmann inside the box, the forward finding the far corner of the net with a composed low finish after 14 minutes.You can also follow live text updates from the Copa del Rey match here. Table of Contents1 Atleti vs Barca: Why early goals might not matter2 Atletico Madrid confirmed starting team vs Barcelona3 Barcelona confirmed starting team vs Atletico Madrid4 How to watch Atleti vs Barcelona: Live online stream, TV channel5 Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona stats6 Whats next for these teams? Atletico Madrid, Barcelona fixturesAtleti vs Barca: Why early goals might not matterDespite their painful start to the tie, Barcelona might not be unduly concerned if last seasons semi-final between the teams in the competition is any marker.On that occasion, Julian Alvarez scored in the first minute of the first leg at Barcelona before Griezmann made the scoreline 2-0 after six minutes.Barcelona then scored four times without reply, only for late goals by Marcos Llorente and during added time Alexander Sorloth to ensure the blockbuster finished 4-4.Hansi Flicks side won the second leg 1-0 through Ferran Torres winner and beat Real Madrid 3-2 after extra time in the final.Atletico Madrid confirmed starting team vs BarcelonaMarc Pubill returned for Atleti after missing their 1-0 home defeat to Betis in La Liga on Sunday through illness.The visitors made four changes, including Juan Musso starting in goal in place of Jan Oblak. Nahuel Molina joined Pubill in defence, with Antoine Griezmann in attack.Jose Maria Gimenez, Thiago Almada and Rodri Mendoza moved to the bench. Johnny Cardoso was out with a muscle injury and Pablo had a thigh problem.Atletico Madrid starting XI: Juan Musso, Nahuel Molina, Marc Pubill, David Hancko, Matteo Ruggeri, Giuliano Simeone, Marcos Llorente, Koke, Ademola Lookman, Antoine Griezmann, Julian AlvarezAtleti substitutes: Salvi Esquivel, Jose Maria Gimenez, Rodrigo Mendoza, Alexander Sorloth, Alex Baena, Thiago Almada, Jan Oblak, Clement Lenglet, Obed Vargas, Nico Gonzalez, Robin Le NormandBarcelona confirmed starting team vs Atletico MadridMidfielder Frenkie de Jong had been a doubt with a groin problem but captained Barca, who made two changes from their 3-0 home win over Mallorca on Saturday.England striker Marcus Rashford had a knee issue and was replaced by Ferran Torres, while De Jong who was an unused substitute came in for Robert Lewandowski, who was on the bench.Defender Andreas Christensen and forward Raphinha were out injured, as were midfielders Gavi and Pedri.Barcelona starting XI: Joan Garcia, Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Alejandro Balde, Marc Casado, Frenkie de Jong, Fermin Lopez, Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres, Dani OlmoBarca substitutes: Wojciech Szczesny, Joao Cancelo, Ronald Araujo, Robert Lewandowski, Gerard Martin, Roony Bardghji, Marc Bernal, Jofre Torrents, Diego Kochen, Juan Hernandez, Tomas MarquesHow to watch Atleti vs Barcelona: Live online stream, TV channelKick-off on Thursday was at 20:00 GMT (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT), with live coverage in the UK on ITV4.Fans can stream the action via ITVs website and ITVX app, which is available on a vast variety of devices for viewing on the go.Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona statsBarca have won the Copa del Rey more times than anyone else (32 to Athletic Clubs 24 and Real Madrids 20) and reached the final most often (43 to Real Madrids 41)In 14 of their last 20 meetings with Spanish sides, they have netted at least three goalsA 1-0 home defeat by Leganes on December 15 2024 remains the last time Barcelona failed to score against a Spanish clubThird in La Liga, Atletis win at Betis is their only victory in their last four matches (D1 L2)They are the fourth-most successful team in Copa del Rey history, winning the competition 10 timesAtleti have failed to make the final since their 2012/13 triumph, although two of their four semi-final appearances along the way have come in the last two seasonsIn a thrilling semi-final last season, Atleti went 2-0 ahead after six minutes in their first leg at Barca before falling 4-2 behind and eventually salvaging a 4-4 draw courtesy of Alexander Sorloths 93rd-minute equaliserFerran Torres scored the only goal in the return match, with Barca proceeding to beat Real Madrid 3-2 after extra time in the finalSince their first meeting in the 1924/25 competition, the teams have met in 25 knockout tiesBarcelona have progressed on 15 occasions to Atletis 10In each of the last four Copa meetings (2009, 2015, 2017 and 2025), Barca have advanced and gone on to lift the trophyWhats next for these teams? Atletico Madrid, Barcelona fixturesAtleti visit relegation-threatened Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Sunday (15:15), a day before Barca travel to midtable Girona (20:00). Topics: Atletico Madrid Copa del Rey FC Barcelona Follow us: Ben Miller Ben has more than 10 years' experience in sports journalism, covering two EURO tournaments, European club competitions, the Premier League, EFL and WSL and a variety of other major sporting events. Read more from Ben Miller