Sharjah24: Atletico Madrid secured a valuable 2–0 victory over a numerically depleted Barcelona in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.
After losing to Barcelona in two consecutive league matches and earlier in the cup (where they were not eliminated despite a 0–4 first-leg defeat followed by a 3–0 win in the return leg), Atletico responded with a win that puts them close to the semi-finals. The goals came from Argentine Julian Álvarez (45) and substitute Norwegian Alexander Sorloth (70). Barcelona were reduced to 10 men after Pau Cubarsí was sent off in the 44th minute.
Barcelona’s unbeaten run of nine matches (eight wins and one draw) across all competitions came to an end, while Atlético returned to winning ways after losing to Barcelona just four days earlier, as well as suffering two previous defeats against Real Madrid in the league and Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League.
The two sides will meet for the sixth time since early December on the 14th of this month, after Atletico face Sevilla and Barcelona take on Espanyol.
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