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Atletico Madrid obtain vital 2-0 win vs 10-men Barcelona at 2026 Champions League quarterfinals first leg

Atletico Madrid secured a vital away win against Barcelona in the first leg of the 2026 Champions League quarterfinals.

Alexander Sorloth celebrates a goal for Atletico Madrid.
© Getty ImagesAlexander Sorloth celebrates a goal for Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona failed to make home-field advantage count, falling 2-0 to Atletico Madrid at the Spotify Camp Nou in the first leg of the 2026 Champions League quarterfinals.

After starting the match with high intensity, Barcelona was the clear dominant force in the first half and looked poised to find the opening goal. However, just minutes before halftime, a foul by Pau Cubarsi on Giuliano Simeone left the hosts with ten men, and Julian Alvarez took full advantage, curling in a fantastic free-kick goal to send his side into the break with the lead.

In the second half, Barcelona showed great character despite the man disadvantage and constantly pushed for an equalizer. However, as they left more space in defense, Atletico capitalized on the numerical superiority, with Alexander Sorloth netting the second goal.

Now, Barcelona will have a mountain to climb in the return leg on Tuesday, April 14, at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, where they must win by at least a two-goal margin to keep their semifinal hopes alive.

Thanks for joining us!

Atletico Madrid secured a vital win at Spotify Camp Nou and you lived every moment with Bolavip!

End of the game!

Atletico Madrid defeated Barcelona 2-0!

90'- Stoppage time! (0-2)

The referee added three more minutes to the game.

84'- Modification in Barcelona (0-2)

Joao Cancelo was replaced by Alejandro Balde.

79'- Modifications in Atletico (0-2)

Antoine Grizmann and Giuliano Simeone were replaced by Thiago Almada and Nicolas Gonzalez.

77'- Barcelona face a delicate situation (0-2)

Barcelona face a delicate balancing act: they must push for the equalizer without leaving themselves exposed in defense, as another Atletico Madrid goal could effectively kill off the series.

72'- Modifications in Barcelona (0-2)

Marcus Rashford and Jules Kounde were replaced by Ferran Torres and Ronald Araujo.

70'- GOOOAAAL OF ATLETICO MADRID!! (0-2)

Alexander Sorloth extends the lead!!

65'- Yellow card in Barcelona (0-1)

Gavi received a yellow card.

62'- Yellow card in Atletico (0-1)

Alex Baena was booked after a foul on Dani Olmo.

59'- Modifications in Atletico Madrid (0-1)

Koke and Ademola Lookman were replaced by Alex Baena and Alexander Sorloth.

57'- Barcelona looking for the equalizer (0-1)

Despite playing with a man down, Barcelona are pushing for the equalizer and have been the more dangerous side in this second half.

52'- Rashford almost scores! (0-1)

Rashford nearly scored the equalizer from a free kick!

49'- Nice try from Rashford! (0-1)

Following a brilliant assist from Yamal, Rashford rounded the keeper, but his strike drifted wide of the target.

45'- Modifications in Barcelona (0-1)

Robert Lewandowski and Pedri were replaced by Fermin Lopez and Gavi.

The second half is underway!

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are already playing the second half!

First half summary

The match kicked off with high intensity from both sides, creating an entertaining back-and-forth in the opening minutes. However, as the first half progressed, Barcelona eventually took control of possession, finishing with 55%, though they were unable to capitalize on their scoring chances.

Despite having the momentum, Barcelona suffered a massive blow when Pau Cubarsi was sent off following a foul on Giuliano Simeone. Julian Alvarez then stepped up and curled in a stunning free-kick from the ensuing play, sending Atletico into the locker room with the lead.

Halftime! (0-1)

The game goes to halftime!

45'+1- Yellow card in Atletico Madrid (0-1)

Marc Pubill received a yellow card.

44'- GOOOOAAAAL OF ATLETICO MADRID!!! (0-1)

43'- Red card for Barcelona (0-0)

After a VAR review, the referee decided to give a red card to Pau Cubarsi instead of a yellow one.

41'- Yellow card in Barcelona (0-0)

Pau Cubarsi received a yellow card.

36'- Barcelona dominating the first half (0-0)

With 54% possession, Barcelona are dominating the play but failing to convert that control into scoring opportunities.

31'- First modification of the game (0-0)

David Hancko left the field injured to make way for Marc Pubill.

30'- Yellow card in Atletico Madrid (0-0)

Koke received a yellow card.

29'- Huge save from Musso! (0-0)

Following a cross, Rashford nearly scored the opening goal, but Juan Musso made another spectacular save to keep the match level.

27'- First yellow card of the game (0-0)

Barcelona's Pedri received the first yellow card of the game.

22'- The match intensity has dipped (0-0)

After a hard-fought start, the pace of the game has slowed, shifting into a battle in the midfield as both sides fight for possession.

17'- Goal disallowed for Barcelona! (0-0)

Rashford fired home the opening goal of the match, but it was disallowed due to an offside position by Lamine Yamal.

14'- An intense start (0-0)

Both teams kicked off the match with high-octane attacking play, creating a frantic back-and-forth rhythm. The opening minutes suggest we are in for a high-scoring affair at the Camp Nou.

9'- Nice try from Cancelo (0-0)

Joao Cancelo produced a brilliant play down the left flank, cut into the box, and unleashed a powerful strike that was saved by Musso.

5'- Great save by Garcia! (0-0)

Following a brilliant play by Julian Alvarez, the Argentine fired a shot from inside the box, but Joan Garcia produced a magnificent save!

3'- Another try from Rashford! (0-0)

Rashford had a great opportunity inside the box, but his shot lacked power and Musso made the save once again.

1'- First shot on target of the game (0-0)

Marcus Rashford recorded the first shot on target of the match, though it was comfortably saved by Juan Musso.

GAME ON!

The game between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid is underway!

Players are on the pitch!

Players from both teams are on the field for the Champions League anthem. Everything is ready for the start of the match!

Players at risk of missing the return leg

Both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid must be extremely careful with players at risk of missing the second leg due to yellow card accumulation, which are only cleared for the semifinals.

For the home side, Lamine Yamal, Gerard Martin, Fermin Lopez, and Marc Casado are all at risk of suspension.

For the visitors, Robin Le Normand, Clement Lenglet, Marc Pubill, Matteo Ruggeri, Marcos Llorente, Thiago Almada, Pablo Barrios, and Giuliano Simeone must all tread carefully.

Why is Jan Oblak not playing?

Jan Oblak won't play today for Atletico Madrid as he is still recovering from a muscle injury suffered in March.

Why are Raphina and Frenkie de Jong not playing?

Raphinha is not playing for Barcelona against Atletico Madrid due to a hamstring injury he suffered while playing for Brazil during a friendly against France. Meanwhile, Frenkie de Jong has been ruled out as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury sustained in late February.

Both teams doing warm up activities

Players for both sides have taken the field for warmups at the Spotify Camp Nou!

Atletico Madrid lineup confirmed!

Atletico Madrid's starting XI: Juan Musso; Nahuel Molina, Davide Hancko, Robin Le Normand, Matteo Ruggeri; Giuliano Simeone, Koke, Marcos Llorente, Ademola Lookman; Antoine Griezmann, Julian Alvarez.

Barcelona lineup confirmed!

Barcelona's starting XI: Joan Garcia; Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Joao Cancelo; Pedri, Eric Garcia; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Marcus Rashford; Robert Lewandowksi.

Today's referees

Istvan Kovacs has been appointed to officiate the clash between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. He will be joined on the field by Mihai Marica and Ferencz Tunyogi, who are set to serve as the assistant referees.

Full officiating team:

  • Referee: Istvan Kovacs (ROU)
  • Assistant Referee 1: Mihai Marica (ROU)
  • Assistant Referee 2: Ferencz Tunyogi(ROU)
  • Fourth official: Szabolcs Kovacs (ROU)
  • VAR: Christian Dingert (GER)

Kickoff time and where to watch

Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid will get underway at the Spotify Camp Nou at 3:00 PM (ET).

DAZN will be the primary option to watch Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid in the USA. The others options to enjoy the game are: Paramount+ and ViX.

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid clash in the 2026 UEFA Champions League!

Welcome to our live blog of the UEFA Champions League. Barcelona host Atletico Madrid at the Spotify Camp Nou in their first leg of the quarterfinals.

Stay with us for all the action and minute-by-minute updates of this exciting game!