Camp Nou was louder than at any point since it reopened in November 2025. Barcelona had hoped that 62,000 fans would be allowed into their stadium as it undergoes a rebuild, but delays have been the hallmark of a project that will result in a vast 105,000-seater arena by this time next year.
Just over 44,000 were inside the half-built venue against Atletico Madrid for the second leg of this Copa del Rey semi-final and they started by making more noise than the crowds twice that size. They were needed more than at any other time this season.
Barcelona had won all 12 of their home games – though ‘home’ is a misnomer since they have been played across three venues and Camp Nou remains a building site – but they didn’t just have to win this one, they needed to win by at least four goals after a horrendous first half in the first leg when they conceded four on a terrible pitch in Madrid.
The club had been in conflict with their own fans for over a year after they were fined for the actions of some of their supporters, whom they then banned. Club officials had restarted communications with fan groups, which resulted in a hardcore of vocal supporters being allowed back in for the Atletico game in an oddly named ‘animated stand’. The name proved apt. A bouncing 1,500-strong slice of seating behind a corner flag, which was the antithesis of the areas populated by one-off tourists for weekend games.
Everyone was up for it including the Barcelona players. After the weekend win against Villarreal win, Lamine Yamal, who had just scored a first league hat-trick, posted: “1% chance, 99% faith.”
That was a reference to a post made by his hero, Neymar, in the build-up to Barca’s Uefa Champions League second leg against Paris Saint-Germain in March 2017. Barcelona has lost 4-0 in Paris, but won 6-1 at home with three goals in the seven minutes.
The Copa del Rey is not the Champions League, and there was no Messi, Neymar, Suarez triumvirate coached by Luis Enrique, but the mood had been set long before the game when fans greeted their team coach in a sea of flares and noise. This game mattered. When those players entered the unfinished stadium, a huge "Juguem com som" (Let’s Play As We Are’) banner greeted the teams placed first and third in La Liga.
Pedri, a key creative force in the Barca side, was back, too. The first drop in noise came after 10 minutes when defender Jules Kounde kicked the ball out of play and went down injured, to be replaced by Alejandro Balde.
Captain Raphinha shot wide a minute later. Young midfielder Marc Bernal, 18, hit a weak effort on target after 13. Ferran Lopez went wide of the post on 16. It was all Barca. It needed to be. When Atletico had the audacity to be in possession on 17 minutes, the crowd booed and Ferran Torres chased the ball like a man possessed until his team had won it back. He shot wide at the halfway point in the first half. Yamal hit the target on 23. Somehow, the ball stayed out of Juan Musso’s goal.
And then Antoine Griezmann, 35 this month and once of Barca, turned and shot on target after hitting the post.
“Griezmann!” screamed an always animated Spanish commentator in the temporary press box, but it was easily saved. And, very slowly, the incessant din was replaced by creeping concern. All the noise around Barcelona before the game was that an early goal was a must, but it wouldn’t go in as the onslaught continued. Coach Hansi Flick winced in pained frustration as his suited counterpart Diego Simeone kicked at imaginary footballs by his feet. Flick had said: “We have to be intelligent and hungry,” before the game. His players were both.
Torres struck on target after 28 minutes. At that point, the stats read 10 shots to 1 and 74 per cent of possession to 26. But no goal.
Barca switched the ball quickly cross-field to Yamal, who crossed low for Bernal. The Catalan’s right foot connected so cleanly that the ball rose high into the goal. 1-0. Barcelona needed three more, but only Premier League leaders Arsenal had put four past Atletico this season.
Raphinha headed wide on 33 and screamed in frustration. He struck wide on 45. Only an Atletico attack could dampen the noise and prompt cries of "Atleti! Atleti!" from the 1,500 travelling fans, many waving Spain flags in deepest Catalonia. They had nerves of their own watching their team, and rightly so when Pedri was fouled by Marc Pubill on 45 minutes. Penalty! Raphinha side-footed the ball along the floor after Musso dived early. 2-0 at half time. A famous remontada (comeback) was on.
Barcelona’s dominance continued in the second half, Yamal, the game’s best player, twisting and turning on 55 minutes. Musso was hugged by his Atletico teammates for a double save a minute later. It was back to how it was in the first half, with every minute a survival exercise for Simeone’s men.
Barcelona pushed high, full-back Joao Cancelo feeding Yamal to work more wonders and set chances up against a side with the joint meanest defence in La Liga – 13 goals conceded in 13 away games. Seventeen minutes into the second half, and in a moment of rare Atletico possession, cries went up from the animated section for Catalan independence. They were whistled by their Madrileno adversaries, who grew in confidence.
Two goals were needed in the final 25 minutes, and while the corner count read 9 to 0, other stats weren’t quite so emphatic – 16 shots against 6 for the visitors.
And then the third, on 71 minutes. Bernal – again - stretched onto a Cancelo cross and made the finish look easy. Bernal, another Masia graduate, doubled his goals for the season. He used to be a striker, but is the closest thing to Sergio Busquets since the defensive midfielder departed for Inter Miami. The Berga boy from the mountain town in the Pyrenees had overcome serious injury to edge his way into the first XI. He had given Barca hope.
"Gol Barca!" hollered the stadium announcer before the febrile crowd celebrated again after VAR cleared the goal. Three-quarters of Camp Nou bounced in unison.
In search of a fourth goal that would have taken the tie to extra time, Barcelona left three defenders at the back. Ronald Araujo, normally a central defender, came on after 71 minutes. As a forward. He joined Marcus Rashford, on for Torres after 64 minutes as the tiring Catalans worked through their bench. Rashford ran at flagging red and white shirts as his team pushed for that implausible equaliser. Yamal needed three players to mark him. The crowd roared. This was the sort of homecoming needed after two years away.
“Yes we can!” screamed the crowd. Yamal and Bernal peppered the goal as the 90 minutes were up. Barca’s strength is in its youth. Defender Pau Cubarsi, 19, was another standout. Six minutes of time was added on. It wasn’t enough.
