JAKARTA - Sweet revenge when Atletico Madrid defeated Barcelona 2-0 in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal at Camp Nou Stadium, Thursday, April 9, 2026 early morning WIB. Barca was forced to surrender after losing defender Pau Cubarsi who received a red card.
The two-minute moment that was fatal for Barca and changed the match between the Spanish LaLiga teams. Cubarsi, the young defender of Barca's mainstay made a big mistake when blocking midfielder Giuliano Simeone towards the end of the first half.
The incident started with Atletico's counterattack built by striker Julian Alvarez and then gave the ball to Simeone. Atletico coach's son, Diego Simeone then brought the ball. Only Simeone's junior action was then stopped after being brought down by Cubarsi outside the penalty box.
Referee Istvan Kovacs originally gave a yellow card to Cubarsi. However, the VAR room intervened which made Kovacs review the incident. After reviewing it through VAR, the referee changed his decision by giving a red card to the 19-year-old defender in the 44th minute.
The referee also awarded a free kick outside the penalty area. The execution was well executed by Alvarez. His shot curved past the Barca player's post towards the top left corner of the goal without being reached by goalkeeper Joan Garcia.
The goal created in the 45th minute changed the score to 1-0 for Atletico. The first half ended with the visiting team's advantage. Atletico players became more confident at the break. How not, Barca previously showed dominance in the fifth big match in this season.
Yes, the two teams have met four times in various competitions. In one of the meetings in the Copa del Rey semi-final, Atletico once beat Barca 4-0.
Finally, they still met in the Spanish LaLiga competition at Atletico's home at the Metropolitano Stadium, last weekend. The result, Barca successfully silenced Atletico 2-1 which confirmed their position at the top of the standings and further away from their rivals, Real Madrid.
When Barca hosted Atletico in the first match of the Champions League, Hansi Flick's team showed dominance again. Barca's attack, which relied on striker Robert Lewandowski, was able to trouble the defense of Los Rojiblancos. Moreover, the wing duo of Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford were able to support Lewandowski very well.
Even Rashford's active and aggressive movement made Atletico's back line messy. The Manchester United loan player also had a cross that was finished by Yamal into a goal. Only that goal was annulled because Yamal was in an offside position.
Yamal again showed world-class action when dancing past three Atletico defenders. Once in a free position, the player with the number 10 then fired a shot that would have scored a goal if it was not blocked by defender Robin Le Norman in the 32nd minute.
Only the situation changed when Cubarsi got a red card. Even worse after losing a player, Barca's goal also conceded.
This is what made the game change in the second half. A more confident Atletico was able to match Barca's game. On the other hand, the Blaugrana no longer dominated.
Flick himself pulled Lewandowski who failed to show his best performance and inserted Fermin Lopez. While Pedri was pulled to be replaced by Gavi.
This player change actually kept Barca's game alive. They created a number of opportunities. Rashford actually had the chance to equalize when he received a pass from Yamal. But his kick still failed.
Next, a free kick from Rashford after Le Normand knocked Yamal outside the penalty area also almost broke Atletico's goal if not brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Juan Musso.
Despite the pressure, Atletico's defense remained solid, frustrating the Barca players. Moreover, Atletico was able to take advantage of the gap to add a goal.
Through an attack built by Antoine Griezmann and working with Matteo Ruggieri. He then released a cross that was greeted by Alexander Sorloth. He had to deceive defender Gerard Martin before defeating Garcia in the 70th minute. The score changed to 2-0 for Atletico.
In the position of being behind, Barca did not give up. They tried to put pressure on Atletico's defense. At least there were two chances from Joao Cancelo and Yamal. Only, they failed to convert the opportunity so that they were unable to catch up with the goal.
The score of 2-0 for Atletico lasted until the end of the match. This victory was also a sweet revenge for Atletico after a painful defeat last weekend. Moreover, this was achieved at Barca's home.
This was also Simeone's first win over Barca at Camp Nou in 14 years of directing Atletico. The result made Atletico's move to the semifinals smoother.
The reason is, they only need a draw in the second match which will be held at home, Wednesday, April 15, 2026 early morning WIB. On the other hand, Barca must chase the goal deficit. They need a minimum victory of 3-0 to eliminate Atletico.
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