An undermanned Barcelona suffered a 2–0 defeat to Atlético Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday night, snapping their perfect record at the Camp Nou this season.
The Catalans took full control of the first half, picking up right where they left off from their 2–1 victory over Diego Simeone’s men at the weekend. Yet the entire nature of the game flipped on its head when center back Pau Cubarsí was sent off just before halftime for the denial of a goalscoring opportunity.
Down to 10 players, the defending Spanish champions fell victim to a sensational free kick from Julián Alvarez in the 45th minute and then what felt like an inevitable second from the visitors, finished off by Alexander Sørloth in the 70th minute.
The defeat marked the first Barcelona suffered in their last 10 matches and puts Hansi Flick’s men at a huge deficit with a trip to the Metropolitano—and their Champions League status—on the horizon.
The Moment That Changed the Game
Barcelona dominated the early stages at the Camp Nou, pinning the visitors fully back into their own half while Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford took turns going for goal. It felt like only a matter of time before the Catalans carved open Atlético Madrid ... until everything changed in the 44th minute.
The hosts were caught out in transition and a clever ball unleashed a streaking Giuliano Simeone, who was through on goal. Cubarsí, the last-man back, bundled into the midfielder from behind, sending the Argentine to ground.
The center back was initially shown a yellow card, but a trip to the monitor had the referee upgrade the offense to a red for the clear denial of a goalscoring opportunity. Much like Atlético Madrid had been at the weekend, Barcelona were now left down a man on the brink of halftime.
To add insult to injury, Alvarez stepped up to the spot of the foul and curled home a brilliant free kick to give Simeone’s side the lead—doubled in the second half by Sørloth—and essentially, the game.
Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Atlético Madrid (4-2-3-1)
GK: Joan García—5.3: No chance against Alvarez’s free kick, but he’ll want Sørloth’s goal back. A goalkeeper of his quality should do better than flailing his arms at a close-range effort well within reach.
RB: Jules Koundé—6.0: Didn’t do nearly enough to close down Ruggeri in the build-up to Sørloth’s goal. Only misplaced one pass in his return to the XI, but lost nearly all his duels.
CB: Pau Cubarsí—5.7: Handed his marching orders on the brink of halftime for a clumsy last-man challenge on Simeone. Left his team with 10 men and without his service for the second leg.
CB: Gerard Martín—6.6: Beaten to the ball by Sørloth and Barcelona paid the price. hardly a redemptive outing after his shaky performance at the Metropolitano.
LB: João Cancelo—6.6: Had great link up play with Rashford. Never looked in doubt to be beaten on the left flank.
DM: Eric García—7.2: Stopped many of Atlético Madrid’s counter attacks before they barely got started in the first half. Switched to his defensive duties with little fanfare in the second half.
DM: Pedri—6.8: Took charge of the contest after a frenzied opening. Pulled the strings with an ease only the best midfielders possess. Hooked at halftime in a head-scratching decision, unless it was a fitness concern.
RW: Lamine Yamal—8.1: Did all he could to get his team back into the game. Gave Matteo Ruggeri all kinds of problems, but was let down by his teammates in the final third. Denied an assist by the offside flag.
AM: Dani Olmo—7.4: Found himself dropping deep just to get a touch on the ball in the first half. More involved after the restart, but will have nightmares about the delicious ball he missed from just a few yards out.
LW: Marcus Rashford—7.3: Gave Nahuel Molina a tough time, using his pace to blow by the fullback on several occasions. Had solid looks at goal all night long, but saw his one clinical finish pulled back for offside.
ST: Robert Lewandowski—6.0: Sacrificed at halftime after Barcelona went down to 10 men. Only mustered a measly one shot in the first half.
SUB: Gavi (46’ for Pedri)—6.3: Not a great outing when his only notable contribution was a yellow card.
SUB: Fermín López (46’ for Lewandowski)—6.8: Some questionable decision-making marred an otherwise bright appearance.
SUB: Ferran Torres (73’ for Rashford)—6.2: A halfhearted penalty shout in the dying stages was about as active as he got.
SUB: Ronald Araújo (73’ for Koundé)—6.2: Couldn’t reprise his heroics up top.
SUB: Alejandro Balde (86’ for Cancelo)—N/A
Subs not used: Diego Kochen (GK), Wojciech Szczęsny (GK), Álvaro Cortés, Marc Casadó, Tommy Marqués, Xavi Espart, Roony Bardghji.
What the Ratings Tell Us
- Pau Cubarsí’s red card had a detrimental impact on the first leg, but his absence gives Flick an even bigger headache for the second leg. Without the teenager, the German must now deploy recently converted center back Gerard Martín alongside either natural midfielder Eric García or the inconsistent Ronald Araújo in central defense.
- Marcus Rashford had chance after chance, both on the left flank in the first half and then as a false nine in the second half, yet he squandered every opportunity. The lack of end product from the Man Utd loanee just begs the question: What would the score have been if it were Raphinha out there instead?
- Barcelona were at their most dangerous down the left flank, largely thanks to João Cancelo. The winter signing was brought in as a defensive reinforcement, but he is the maker of so much magic for the Catalans through his growing chemistry with Rashford. There is simply no place for Alejandro Balde in the XI anymore.
The Numbers That Explain Barcelona’s Champions League Defeat
- Atlético Madrid only managed a 0.45 xG and yet walked away with two goals. Barcelona’s ability to limit Simeone’s men to only one big chance and just three shots on target when playing down a man for the entire second half is a silver lining heading into the second leg.
- Once again, Barcelona lacked the end product. Despite rallying 18 shots at goal, the Catalans walked away without getting on the scoresheet.
- What makes the attacking performance even more damning is that Flick’s men had a 1.21 xG. Even a single goal could have given them a lifeline ahead of their trip to Madrid.
| Statistic | Barcelona | Atlético Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 58% | 42% |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 1.21 | 0.45 |
| Total Shots | 18 | 3 |
| Shots on Target | 7 | 3 |
| Big Chances | 1 | 1 |
| Passing Accuracy | 90% | 86% |
| Fouls Committed | 6 | 17 |
| Corners | 7 | 1 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Atlético Madrid: Nightmare Leaves Catalans Pointing Fingers.
