Hansi Flick hailed his Barcelona players for leaving everything out on the pitch, though he conceded they were disappointed after narrowly missing out on the Copa del Rey final.
Atletico Madrid won the first leg 4-0, giving Barcelona a mountain to climb at Camp Nou, but Flick’s side gave it their best shot, winning 3-0 on Tuesday.
Marc Bernal scored in each half, with Raphinha getting their other goal from a penalty on the stroke of half-time, but the fourth goal that would have taken the tie to extra time eluded them.
Barca were dominant throughout, having 21 shots worth 3.1 expected goals (xG), with nine of those hitting the target and another clipping the crossbar in the second minute.
Flick said before the match that Barcelona were “going to try to make the impossible possible”, and though they fell just short of a superb comeback, he was proud of his team’s effort.
“I’m disappointed because we had many chances to score more goals, but we played a great game,” Flick said.
“I’m proud of my players, but disappointed. They gave their all on the pitch. They were fantastic.
“At the end of the match, it’s disappointing not to be in the final, but we have to be proud of what we saw. They did everything they could.”
At 18 years and 281 days old, Bernal became the youngest player to score two goals in a single match for Barcelona in the Copa del Rey since at least the 2013-14 season.
He led the charge for Barcelona, having a game-high five shots, with four of those hitting the target, while he was also responsible for two of their four ‘big’ chances.
While the holders will not have the chance to defend their trophy in the showpiece, they remain top of LaLiga, with a four-point buffer over Real Madrid, and are through to the Champions League’s last 16, where they will face Newcastle United.
And Bernal is keen for Barcelona to quickly put this result behind them to continue their push for silverware.
“We’re happy with the team’s performance on the field but not satisfied because we were unable to reach the final,” he said.
“What happened was what we expected. We were one goal short. We were tired at the end; we’re left with a bittersweet feeling.
“At the time [of his second goal], I didn’t know if I was offside. I’m happy about that part, scoring goals. Now to continue with the league and fight for the Champions League.”
