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Atletico Madrid Demolish Betis 5-0 to Storm into Copa del Rey Semis

Atletico Madrid delivered a commanding 5-0 victory over Real Betis to book their place in the Copa del Rey semifinals. David Hancko, Giuliano Simeone, and Ademola Lookman scored in a dominant first-half display. Antoine Griezmann and Thiago Almada added second-half goals, though the win was marred by an injury to Pablo Barrios. The draw for the two-legged semifinals will be held on Friday.

Key Points: Atletico Madrid 5-0 Betis: Copa del Rey Semifinal Berth Secured

  • 5-0 rout secures semifinal spot
  • Lookman and Griezmann on scoresheet
  • Injury concern for Pablo Barrios
  • Semifinal draw set for Friday
2 min read

Atletico Madrid thrash Betis to reach Copa del Rey semifinal

Atletico Madrid crush Real Betis 5-0 to reach the Copa del Rey semifinals. Goals from Hancko, Simeone, Lookman, Griezmann, and Almada seal dominant win.

"Atletico quickly seized control and dominated the first half. - Xinhua"

Madrid, Feb 6

Atletico Madrid delivered a convincing performance to claim the semifinal spot in Spain's Copa del Rey with a 5-0 rout of Real Betis.

Betis threatened early through Ez Abde, but Atletico quickly seized control and dominated the first half. David Hancko opened the scoring with a near-post header from a Koke corner, and the visitors never looked back.

New signing Ademola Lookman was heavily involved from the outset, missing one chance when sent through on goal and firing over after Hancko's knockdown, as Atletico denied Betis possession and territory, reports Xinhua.

Giuliano Simeone doubled the lead in the 30th minute after being set up by Matteo Ruggeri, and Lookman made it 3-0 before halftime, cutting inside two defenders from the left and beating goalkeeper Adrian with a composed finish.

Atletico suffered an early setback after the break when Pablo Barrios was forced off with a hamstring injury and replaced by Jose Gimenez, a concern ahead of the club's Champions League playoff against Club Brugge later this month.

The injury did little to halt Atletico's momentum. Antoine Griezmann made it 4-0 in the 62nd minute, finishing a counterattack started by Lookman, before Thiago Almada completed the scoring late on by converting a rebound after Adrian had saved Griezmann's initial effort.

The teams meet again on Sunday at Atletico's Metropolitano Stadium in La Liga.

Previously, Barcelona reached the semifinals on Tuesday with a 2-1 win at Albacete, while Athletic Club beat Valencia 2-1 and Real Sociedad won 3-2 at Alaves on Wednesday.

The draw for the two-legged semifinals will be held Friday, with the first legs next week and the return matches in the first week of March. The final is scheduled for April 18.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Watching from Mumbai. That injury to Barrios is a worry. Hamstring issues can linger. Simeone will have to manage the squad carefully with the UCL coming up. Still, a 5-0 win is a massive statement.
A
Ananya R
Griezmann is pure class! That finish for the 4th goal was so smooth. The Copa del Rey is heating up. As a neutral, I just hope for a Barcelona vs Atletico final – that would be a cracker of a match!
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Vikram M
Respectfully, while the win is impressive, the article focuses a lot on the scoreline. What about Betis? They threatened early but collapsed. A bit more analysis on their tactical failure would have been good. Just my two paise.
K
Karthik V
Brilliant! Hancko scoring from a corner shows their set-piece strength. In Indian football, we need to learn from such efficiency. Our ISL teams often waste good corners. Atletico is a masterclass in being clinical.
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Michael C
That's a proper thrashing. 5-0 away from home is no joke. The semifinal draw will be interesting. Would love to see them avoid Barcelona until the final. The Metropolitano will be rocking on Sunday for the league game again!

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