Barcelona coach Luis Enrique admitted missed chances leave his side with some work still to do to reach a fourth consecutive Copa del Rey final, despite taking a 2-1 semi-final, first-leg lead over Atletico Madrid.
Sensational strikes from Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi had Barca cruising at halftime at the Vicente Calderon in Madrid on Wednesday, but Antoine Griezmann pulled a goal back for an inspired Atletico after the break, before Neymar blasted over a huge chance to restore Barca’s two-goal lead.
“If we had been more efficient with the quality we have in this team, we could have taken our chances better and had a different second leg,” Enrique said.
Barca will also be without Neymar for the return leg on Tuesday next week as he picked up his third yellow card in the Copa this season late on.
“We knew we had to score here,” Suarez said. “That was important and we got two, but it is not at all over.”
It was a tale of two halves as Barcelona dominated in the first 45 minutes with Suarez’s sensational solo run and finish after seven minutes added to by Messi’s thunderous long-range strike.
“I think we started the tie very well, knowing how difficult it is to play here at the Calderon,” Enrique said. “We made sure they couldn’t create any attacks, we kept the ball in their half, created a lot of chances and were very efficient. In the second half, given the result, Atletico had to attack. They pressed us much more and caused a lot more problems, but it would be naive or ridiculous to think you can come here and not suffer.”
Messi was once again a class apart as he constantly pulled the Atletico defense apart on top of firing home his 30th goal in 29 games this season.
“The big games are when you see the best Leo Messi,” Enrique said. “He showed us his full repertoire. His dribbling, generating superiority in midfield, giving assists and scoring goals. There are few new superlatives for Messi.”
Four previous two-legged ties between the sides over the past three seasons had been split two apiece and Atletico looked more like the side that Diego Simeone has made serial contenders for trophies after the introduction of Fernando Torres at halftime.
“We spoke at halftime and I think in the second half we got close to the team we have always been,” Simeone said. “I am left with that positive feeling.”
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