Atletico beat Barcelona to take first-leg advantage

Atlético Madrid secured a crucial 2-0 win over FC Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, capitalising on a first-half red card to take control of the tie.

Despite dominating possession for large spells, Barcelona were reduced to 10 men just before the break when Pau Cubarsí was sent off following a VAR review for a foul on Giuliano Simeone. Referee István Kovács initially showed a yellow card before upgrading it to red.

Moments later, Julián Álvarez broke the deadlock with a precise free-kick in first-half stoppage time.

Barcelona responded strongly after the break despite being a man down, creating multiple chances. Marcus Rashford came closest with a free-kick that struck the crossbar, while Lamine Yamal had a goal ruled out for offside.

However, Atletico doubled their lead in the 70th minute when Alexander Sørloth finished from a low cross by Matteo Ruggeri.

Barcelona registered 24 shots in total but were repeatedly denied, leaving them with a significant challenge ahead of the return leg in Madrid next Tuesday.