Atlético Madrid eliminated 10-man Barcelona from the Champions League and advanced to the last four with a 3-2 aggregate victory, despite losing 2-1 in the quarter-final second leg.
Goals from Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres put the visiting side Barça ahead within 24 minutes on Tuesday, but Atlético, who won 2-0 in the first leg thanks to a goal from Ademola Lookman, once again had the upper hand as the Spaniards drew.
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Diego Simeone’s side defended their title against the La Liga champions in a bloody battle to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2017.
Barcelona ended the game with 10 men as Eric Garcia was sent off for knocking down Alexander Sorloth, who was running in front of the goal, denying them a chance to score a third goal in extra time.
Atlético, who have never won the trophy before and lost in the 2014 and 2016 finals under Simeone, will face either Arsenal or Sporting Lisbon in the semi-finals.
Barça manager Hansi Flick has placed forwards Marcus Rashford and Robert Lewandowski on the bench in place of key players Torres and Gabi as he looks to press Atletico relentlessly in the sixth game between the sides this season.
Goalkeeper Juan Musso curled Yamal’s shot close to the post just 32 seconds later, and Barca roared out of the blocks amidst the frenzied atmosphere at the Metropolitano Stadium.
The teenage winger gave the visitors the lead after just four minutes, prompting Clement Lenglet to hand the ball over.
Torres pushed it back to Yamal, who slid a low shot between Musso’s legs, silencing the home fans and igniting Barça’s comeback attempt.
Dani Olmo almost grabbed a second goal, but Musso was able to reach his attempted lob as Barça continued to dominate.
Antoine Griezmann’s shot was deflected wide as Atlético showed occasional flashes, but it was mainly the enterprising winger Lookman who forced Jules Kounde into a tough night.
Barcelona doubled their lead in the 24th minute when Torres left Lenglet behind, reached Olmo’s path and fired a shot past Musso and into the top corner, leveling the score on aggregate.
Fermín López could have scored Barça’s third goal, but Musso parried his header and his boot caught the Spaniard in the face, leaving the midfielder bloodied.
Atlético pulled the match back in the 31st minute after Barça switched defense for the first time.
Marcos Llorente darted to the right behind the Catalans’ high defensive line and his cross was met by Lookman.
Barcelona’s complaint to UEFA over a handball incident that resulted in no penalty awarded in the first leg was rejected after Olmo fell to the ground under pressure in the box.
The five-time champions were frustrated again early in the second half with a volley from Torres, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Flick brought on Rashford and Lewandowski with about 20 minutes remaining and found the goals his side, who reached the semi-finals last season, needed to advance.
On a night when Atlético almost equalized, Barça stopper João Garcia made a fine save with his feet to deny Robin Le Normande from close range.
Matteo Ruggeri was caught with an elbow by Gabi as tensions rose, drawing blood from his face.
As well as Pau Kvarsi’s red card in the first leg, Eric García was sent off for clipping the heel of Soros as he ran in front of goal, and the match turned against Barça.
Flick brought centre-back Ronald Araujo up front in the closing stages, but there was no turning back and Atlético gritted their teeth to survive eight minutes of stoppage time before celebrating.
“It was a roller coaster of a game where we lost 2-0, and then it was really two games in the first half,” Lookman told TNT Sports.
“We persevered there and made it all the way to the semifinals.”
Barca’s Frenkie de Jong said his team was unlucky.
“I played a very good game. I gave it my all. I feel like luck wasn’t on my side,” he told Movistar.
“We’re growing and I think we have a young, talented team that can take on everything. We’re going to keep going.”
In Tuesday’s other Champions League quarter-final, Ousmane Dembele scored twice to beat Liverpool 2-0 at a rain-soaked Anfield, securing a 4-0 aggregate victory and sealing Paris Saint-Germain’s place in the last four.
Holder absorbed sustained pressure from Liverpool, who were roared on by a raucous home crowd, but maintained the advantage established in last week’s first leg in Paris to book a place in the semi-finals for the fifth time in seven seasons.
Dembele latched on to the ball from Bradley Barcola in the 72nd minute and curled a shot past Giorgi Mamadashvili into the bottom corner from 20 yards to go, scoring his second successive goal at Anfield. He completed a double early in stoppage time, converting a cross from Barcola into the goal.
PSG will next face either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid, with the German side leading 2-1 heading into Wednesday’s quarter-final second leg.
