Barcelona managed to overcome an early Atletico Madrid goal yet again as they marched to a 2-1 triumph at the Camp Nou in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie.
In another eventful encounter between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, Diego Simeone’s men took the lead after 25 minutes, only to come undone after the sending off of goalscorer Fernando Torres in the first half. Barcelona struck twice through Luis Suarez in the second half to secure the advantage in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie.
Following the match, Torres’ second yellow card was a bone of contention between the two managers. Atletico manager Diego Simeone dismissed the referee’s decision, claiming that he did not blame his striker.
“I’m not angry with Torres, for sure. It’s for you to find out [if it was fair],” said the Argentine manager, according to FourFourTwo.
“I’m not saying everything I want to say, that’s for sure. I’m trying to think about what to say about the game and the refereeing.”
Meanwhile, his opposite number Luis Enrique felt that it was a straightforward decision for the referee to make.
“Everyone from Barca saw clearly that they were two yellow cards, and all of Atletico haven’t,” said the Barcelona manager. “It’s typical and normal in this case. But it’s the referee who dictates what is or isn’t a card.
“I saw the expulsion like all the Catalan players, clearly. But maybe a bit simple.”
Atletico need to find a way to beat Barca
Diego Simeone came close once again to breaking his duck against current Barcelona manager Luis Enrique. While Atletico Madrid played brilliantly in the first half and even took the lead, they eventually unravelled after being reduced to ten men. The 2-1 result was a repeat of their last encounter in La Liga, when Atletico were reduced to nine men.
Despite a very promising start, Atletico Madrid’s poor record against Barcelona continues. However, they will take heart from Torres’ away goal, which could prove to be crucial in the second leg at the Vicente Calderon. While Los Rojiblancos looked like they could have become the second team from Madrid to beat Barcelona in the space of four days, they will now have to wait for the second leg for an opportunity to get their revenge.
