Barcelona humiliated in Copa del Rey as fans turn on struggling duo
Marc Casado and Ferran Torres have been told to leave by furious supporters after Barcelona suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-final.
Hansi Flick’s side face a near-impossible task to reach the final following a disastrous first-leg collapse at the Wanda Metropolitano.
An early Eric Garcia own goal set the tone before Antoine Griezmann, Ademola Lookman, and Julian Alvarez ruthlessly exposed the visitors’ defensive frailties.
While few emerged with credit, the ire of the travelling support focused heavily on two specific homegrown talents.
Midfielder faces intense scrutiny
Marc Casado endured a torrid evening in the capital and was substituted after just 37 minutes of the contest.
The 22-year-old struggled to cope with the intensity of Diego Simeone’s side, leading to a wave of criticism across social media.
One exasperated supporter suggested the midfielder is “not built” for high-stakes encounters of this magnitude.
Another fan offered a scathing assessment, claiming the La Masia graduate “isn’t even good enough to start for Getafe” let alone the Catalan giants.
Forward line fails to fire
Ferran Torres also found himself in the firing line after an anonymous showing leading the attack.
The former Manchester City forward managed fewer than 20 touches, leaving the visitors without a focal point throughout the match.
Supporters were ruthless in their verdict, with calls for the club to offload the Spanish international in the upcoming transfer window.
“Ferran needs to be sold as well,” one fan stated, describing him as a “nothing player” following the routing.
Comparisons were even drawn to veteran Robert Lewandowski, with fans suggesting keeping Torres poses a greater risk to the club’s future success than retaining the 37-year-old.
A mountain to climb
The result leaves Barcelona requiring a miracle turnaround in the second leg to salvage their domestic cup ambitions.
Flick must now rally his demoralised squad as they attempt to recover from a night that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.