Tag: Atletico

 

Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth’s goals earned Atletico Madrid a commanding 2-0 lead over 10-man Barcelona in a tense Champions League quarter-final first leg clash on Wednesday.

The La Liga leaders were on top in the all-Spanish tie at Camp Nou before Pau Cubarsi was sent off for bringing down Atletico’s Giuliano Simeone, who was through on goal.

Alvarez whipped home the free-kick and Sorloth doubled their advantage with 20 minutes remaining to give Atletico a strong chance of reaching the semi-finals.

 

Diego Simeone’s side, who have never won the competition, reached the 2014 and 2016 finals but were beaten by rivals Real Madrid on both occasions.

“We have things to improve and learn from… we’re happy for the win but there’s a long way to go,” Atletico’s Antoine Griezmann told Movistar.

“We’re very far from the semis, we’re 90 or more minutes away… we’re confident but keeping our feet on the ground.”

Barca, semi-finalists last season, need to make a huge comeback next Tuesday in Madrid if they are to stand a chance of lifting the trophy they last won in 2015.

“It will be tough there but if anyone can do it, it’s us,” Barca defender Ronald Araujo told Movistar.

“We’ve got great players, quality, personality — we will look for the comeback.”

Atletico knocked Barca out of the Copa del Rey in the semi-finals in March and this was the second of three meetings between the sides in a space of a fortnight.

Barcelona started well with Marcus Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, their main threat down the left.

On the right flank Atletico tried to suffocate teenage star Lamine Yamal with defensive numbers, allowing Rashford more room.

The first chances fell to the England international, who scored against Atletico in La Liga on Saturday, but Musso denied him.

At the other end Alvarez, who has been linked with a switch to Barcelona in recent months, tested Joan Garcia.

The busy Rashford, constantly escaping beyond Nahuel Molina, volleyed narrowly wide and then rolled a shot into the bottom corner but it was disallowed for offside against Yamal in the build-up.

Even though the 18-year-old was up against three Atletico defenders he produced some superb skill to break free of their shackles, but Robin Le Normand blocked his shot.

Veteran Atletico midfielder Koke was fortunate to stay on the pitch after fouls on Dani Olmo, Pedri and Yamal were only punished with a yellow card, to Barca supporters’ fury.

Hansi Flick’s side were controlling the game with Atletico talisman Griezmann quiet against his former team, but a moment of clumsiness from Cubarsi dramatically gave the visitors the upper hand before half-time.

The 19-year-old centre-back, chasing Giuliano Simeone as he ran through on goal to reach a ball in behind Barca’s defence from Alvarez, clattered the Atletico coach’s son from behind.

Although referee Istvan Kovacs only produced a yellow card for Cubarsi, he upgraded it to a red after a VAR review.

Worse was to come for Barca, with former Manchester City striker Alvarez whipping the free-kick into the top corner.

Sorloth doubles down
Barca coach Flick took action at half-time, withdrawing the quiet Robert Lewandowski and the booked Pedri for energetic midfield tandem Gavi and Fermin Lopez.

It helped the hosts continue to battle well with 10 men, as Barca kept generating chances for Rashford. Yamal sent the forward through on goal but after rounding Musso could only hit the side netting.

Le Normand brought down Yamal on the edge of the box and Rashford’s free-kick was tipped over by Musso.

It was against the run of play again that Atletico snatched their second.

Griezmann and Matteo Ruggieri combined and the latter crossed for target man Sorloth, who outmuscled Gerard Martin and fired past the helpless Garcia.

Barca tasted defeat at home for the first time since Camp Nou reopened in November 2025 — and Atletico coach Simeone won at the stadium for the first time in his 14-year career at the helm of the Rojiblancos.

Musso later saved from Joao Cancelo and Yamal, but Barca could not pull a goal back, leaving the five-time winners in a tough spot ahead of the second leg next Tuesday.

 

AFP

Atletico Madrid struggled through a 3-0 Copa del Rey semi-final second leg defeat at Barcelona on Tuesday but scraped into the final 4-3 on aggregate.

The Spanish champions almost produced a comeback for the ages after their 4-0 first leg defeat in early February, but fell just short at Camp Nou.

Youngster Marc Bernal netted twice for the record 32-time winners and Raphinha scored a penalty as Barcelona tried in vain to claw back Diego Simeone’s side’s lead.

Atletico, who clung on desperately in the final stages, returned to the final for the first time since 2013.

They will face Real Sociedad or Athletic Bilbao, who meet on Wednesday in the second semi-final second leg.

“We knew it would be a tricky game, to come back from 4-0 down is not easy. But I’m proud of the team, we gave everything,” Raphinha told Movistar.

“We are disappointed because we wanted to be in the final, and I think we deserved it from the game we played, but we have to respect Atletico too, a great team and they defended what they had and did well.”

Atletico goalkeeper Juan Musso admitted his team were up against the wall but was delighted to reach the final.

“We are dreaming of winning the cup. Maybe it wasn’t our best game, we were better in the first leg,” Musso told Movistar.

“We showed what we were made of in the final 15 minutes, it was all in their favour, their pitch, their fans, they needed just one more goal, but the team suffered through it.”

Barcelona came out flying and Fermin Lopez’s long-range effort just over the bar set the tone, as Hansi Flick’s side threw everything they had at a potential comeback.

They were dealt an early setback when Jules Kounde went off injured in the opening stages. Antoine Griezmann came close against his former side as Atletico threatened on the counter-attack.

Ferran Torres fired wide and had a shot saved low at the near post by Musso before Barcelona took the lead.

Teenage star Lamine Yamal drilled across the face of goal for Bernal to finish from close range, with one 18-year-old setting up another.

 

Ademola Lookman headed narrowly off-target for Atletico and came to rue the miss as Barca doubled their advantage before the interval.

Spain midfielder Pedri was tripped in the box by Marc Pubill and Raphinha sent Musso the wrong way from the spot.

Atletico hold out

Joao Cancelo almost grabbed the third but his shot was beaten away by Musso at full stretch, with Diego Simeone’s team on the ropes.

Bernal set up a frantic finale when he volleyed home Cancelo’s swirling cross to take Barca within one goal of the crumbling Rojiblancos.

Flick put centre-back Ronald Araujo up front for the final stages, in search of a fourth goal to “make the impossible possible”, as he called on his team to do before the game.

Gerard Martin hammered narrowly over the bar as Barca turned the screw, with fans roaring the team on through six minutes of stoppage time.

The Rojiblancos fended off Barca and booked their place in the Seville final on April 18.

AFP