Diego Simeone, the coach of Atlético Madrid, praised his team's performance following their 4-0 victory over Barcelona in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals. He emphasized that the players delivered an exceptional match while warning of the difficulty of the return leg.

Simeone said, "I believe our fans need such matches. For years, they have been pushing us forward and always showing up. They need big games. We played a very good first half, read the game excellently, were very decisive, and maintained calm in the final part of the match. It was a fantastic first half."

He continued: "We knew they wouldn't give up; they have the quality to face anything in front of them. That's how the second half started. We had situations that we could have handled better in the second half; it wasn't similar to the first. The players delivered an exceptional match."

He added: "Antoine is a historic player, a legend at Atletico Madrid. No one can take away this great place he holds. He gives everything he has to participate. I hope I can reciprocate this enthusiasm from my side as a coach. Today, he was amazing."

He referred to the third goal, saying: "I liked Julian Alvarez's pass to Lookman, that composure in that moment, it reflects humility, poise, and vision, and life rewards you for that. He delivered a second half full of effort, we knew we needed to revive the strikers' work."

He concluded his remarks by saying: "It is clear that we know the opponent we will face, we cannot give up. There is still a long time before the return match, but today brought great joy to our fans, and they deserve it. What Llorente and Giuliano delivered was exceptional."