📸 Alvarez stunner gives Atleti lead after Barça red in minute of madness

The Champions League quarter-final tie between La Liga heavyweights Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at the Camp Nou sparked into life before half-time.

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After an opening 40 minutes in which Barça were on top, the home side were reduced to 10 men as Pau Cubarsí was given his marching orders for a last man challenge on Giuliano Simeone

The defender was initially shown a yellow card but it was eventually upgraded to a red following VAR intervention.

To make matters worse for Hansi Flick's side, their opponents scored from the resulting free-kick as Julián Alvarez curled a stunning effort into the top corner past a despairing Joan Garcia.

– Wednesday, 8 April 2026

Alvarez has now surpassed Diego Costa with the most goals scored for Atleti in a single Champions League campaign.

Will it be enough to give Diego Simeone's side a much-needed lead heading into the second leg and their first win at the Nou Camp in 20 years or will Barcelona find a way back into this tie?

📸 LLUIS GENE - AFP or licensors