Barcelona target 'miracle' Copa del Rey semi-final comeback against Atletico Madrid
By
SABC Sport
26th February 2026
FC Barcelona defender Gerard Martin has insisted his side still believe they can produce a dramatic comeback against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday in the Copa del Rey semi-final.
Barcelona host Villarreal in La Liga on Saturday, but the real focus is Tuesday night's second leg against Diego Simeone's men at the Spotify Camp Nou. The Blaugrana head into the tie trailing 4-0 after a heavy first-leg defeat at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano earlier this month, leaving Hansi Flick's side with a huge task.
Despite the scoreline, belief inside the dressing room remains strong.
"We're convinced we can come back," Martin said at an event organised by the Johan Cruyff Foundation in his hometown. "We'll go out to do it, especially at home with our fans. If there's any team that can do it, it's Barça."
His comments echoed those made earlier in the day by winger Raphinha, underlining a united message from the squad ahead of one of their biggest games of the season.
Martin was also asked about the ongoing presidential elections at the club, with Joan Laporta among the candidates. "We're approaching it calmly," he said. "Right now he can't be with us, but I hope he will be soon," a remark that hinted at where his support may lie.
The 23-year-old, who turns 24 on Thursday, also addressed the controversial refereeing call in Barcelona's recent 2-1 defeat to Girona at Estadi Montilivi, a decision later acknowledged by the Referees Technical Committee.
The controversy centres on Girona's winning goal in the 86th minute, scored by Fran Beltran. In the buildup to the goal, Girona's Claudio Echeverri clearly stamped on the foot of Barcelona defender Jules Kounde. On-field referee Cesar Soto Grado and VAR official David Galvez Rascon both failed to penalise the incident, allowing the goal to stand.
"There will always be mistakes. That one was strange, but we're top of the league and we want to stay there," he explained. "That day I was more annoyed about our performance than about the error.
"When there are mistakes, one team benefits and another suffers. That's football."
For now, though, all attention is on Tuesday. Barcelona need a near-perfect performance to overturn the deficit, and MartÃn made his ambition clear with a smile: "For my birthday, I ask to win everything."
