Atletico Madrid moved closer to a Champions League semi-final spot with a commanding victory over 10-man Barcelona.
The visitors, who had not won at the Nou Camp since 2006, ended that run on Wednesday as goals from Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth handed them a crucial first-leg advantage in their quarter-final tie.
Barcelona dominated large spells of the match, but the turning point came just before half-time when Pau Cubarsi fouled Giuliano Simeone as he raced through on goal. Referee Istvan Kovacs initially issued a yellow card, but after a VAR review, the decision was upgraded to a red.
Alvarez capitalised on the moment, curling the resulting free-kick past the goalkeeper to give Atletico the lead.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, Barcelona responded strongly after the break and controlled much of the second half. Marcus Rashford came closest to an equaliser, striking the crossbar with a free-kick.
However, Atletico sealed the win late on, with Sorloth finishing from close range after Matteo Ruggeri’s low delivery.
The result leaves Barcelona facing a tough task in the return leg in Madrid next Tuesday.
