Barcelona were beaten 2-0 at the Spotify Camp Nou as Atlético Madrid upset the hosts, with Julián Álvarez and Alexander Sørloth scoring, as reported by ESPN.
The match turned before halftime when Pau Cubarsí was sent off for hauling down Giuliano Simeone, a decision confirmed after the referee consulted the pitchside VAR monitor, and Álvarez curled home a free kick soon after, according to ESPN.
Atlético extended their advantage when Sørloth added a second, around 20 minutes from time, and Barcelona could not convert a string of chances despite strong spells led by Marcus Rashford and lively play from Lamine Yamal, ESPN reported.
Match Details And Broader Context
FotMob listed Barcelona’s starting formation as a 4-2-3-1 with Joan García in goal and Marcus Rashford supporting Robert Lewandowski, while Atlético lined up in a 4-4-2 with Juan Musso in goal, as shown by FotMob’s published lineups.
FotMob also noted unavailable players for each side, including several injuries at Barcelona and absences at Atlético, and provided the long-term head to head record showing Barcelona with 28 wins, Atlético with 7 wins and 12 draws.
ESPN highlighted that Barcelona had not lost at home to Atlético in 26 meetings stretching back to 2006, and that Atlético recorded an away victory over Spanish opposition in the Champions League for the first time, with information drawn from ESPN and from PA and The Associated Press in the match recap.
Referee intervention and VAR played a decisive role in the tie, and the second leg is scheduled to be played in Madrid on Tuesday, with Atlético holding a two-goal advantage to take to the return match, as reported by ESPN.
