Barcelona’s defence of the Copa del Rey is hanging by a thread after Atletico Madrid ripped them apart in a sensational 4-0 first-leg win at the Metropolitano on Thursday night.
Diego Simeone’s side struck four times before the interval in one of the most damaging halves of Barcelona’s season.
The La Liga leaders face an enormous task when the tie resumes at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on March 3.
The visitors’ collapse began inside the opening 10 minutes with a moment of chaos at the back.
Joan Garcia failed to control a simple backpass from Eric Garcia, allowing the ball to slip under his foot and trickle over the line.
The goalkeeper scrambled back and swatted it away, but the ball had already crossed, and Ademola Lookman was on hand to turn it into the net for the opener.
They doubled their advantage in the 14th minute when Antoine Griezmann found space just outside the area and curled a fine finish beyond Garcia.
From that point, Atletico played with a sharpness and intensity that Barcelona could not live with, repeatedly breaking through a back line that was caught flat-footed and stretched.
Lookman added a third in the 33rd minute after Atletico again found room in the final third, with Barcelona’s defensive structure crumbling under the pressure.
Julian Alvarez then completed the first-half blitz in stoppage time, thumping home a fourth to end a personal goal drought and send the home crowd into delirium.
Barcelona were steadier after the break and prevented the tie from becoming even more embarrassing.
They thought they had pulled one back early in the second half when Pau Cubarsi bundled in from close range following a set-piece situation.
However, a lengthy VAR check that lasted close to eight minutes eventually ruled the goal out for offside, a decision that drained what little momentum the visitors had managed to generate.
The evening turned even darker late on when Eric Garcia was sent off in the 85th minute after a rash challenge, leaving Barcelona to finish the match with 10 men.
Atletico, who had looked capable of scoring with almost every first-half attack, managed the closing stages with composure and will travel to the second leg with a commanding advantage.
Barcelona now require an extraordinary comeback to keep their trophy defence alive, while Atletico have placed themselves firmly on course for the final.
