Diego Simeone's managerial first leaves Barcelona staring at Champions League exit after Atletico loss

Callum Vurley
Wed, 08 Apr 2026 21:30:10 +0000

Atletico Madrid pulled off something special at the Nou Camp on Wednesday night, claiming a massive 2-0 victory over Barcelona in their Champions League quarter-final first leg.

It's a result that puts Diego Simeone's side firmly in the driving seat ahead of next week's return fixture.

The visitors hadn't tasted victory at Barcelona's famous ground since 2006, so this was a long time coming.

Julian Alvarez found the net in the first half before Alexander Sorloth added a second after the break, giving Atletico a commanding advantage to take back to Madrid.

Barcelona were reduced to ten men, which proved absolutely crucial to how the evening unfolded.

The turning point came just before half-time when defender Pau Cubarsi brought down Giuliano Simeone as he raced through on goal.

Referee Istvan Kovacs initially brandished a yellow card, but VAR had other ideas.

After reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor, Kovacs upgraded the punishment to a straight red, leaving Barcelona with a mountain to climb.

Things went from bad to worse almost immediately.

Alvarez stepped up to take the resulting free-kick and delivered an absolute beauty, curling the ball beyond the goalkeeper's reach and into the net.

Stop that, Julián Alvarez 🥵

A special free kick to put Atletico 1-0 up 🤩

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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 8, 2026

It was a devastating double blow for the hosts, who had actually looked the better team up to that point.

Barcelona deserve credit for their response after going down to ten men, actually dominating possession and chances in the second half.

Marcus Rashford came agonisingly close to pulling one back, rattling the crossbar with a free-kick that had everyone holding their breath.

But Atletico delivered the knockout punch instead.

Matteo Ruggeri whipped in a low cross and Sorloth was there to sweep the ball home, making it 2-0 and leaving Barcelona's hopes in tatters.

Hansi Flick's side now face a daunting trip to Madrid next Tuesday needing to overturn a two-goal deficit.

Atletico have knocked Barcelona out in both of their previous Champions League knockout encounters, so history isn't on the Catalans' side.