Atleti Edge Barcelona 2-0 As Simeone Warns The Champions League Tie Is Far From Over

Diego Simeone insisted Atletico Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona is still open, despite a 2-0 away victory at Camp Nou placing Atletico Madrid in a strong position before the return leg and ending a long wait for a Champions League win at the stadium.

The visitors struck through Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth after Pau Cubarsi’s red card, yet Simeone recalled how Barcelona responded in the Copa del Rey semi-finals, when Atletico Madrid led 4-0 from the first leg but then conceded three goals in the second match.

Barcelona controlled possession and created more chances across the 90 minutes, even with 10 players. Barcelona attempted 18 shots to Atletico Madrid’s five and generated 1.21 expected goals, compared with 0.45

for the visitors, underlining how efficient Atletico Madrid were in converting limited opportunities at Camp Nou.

Team	Goals	Shots	Expected Goals (xG)	Red Cards
Barcelona	0	18	1.21	1 (Pau Cubarsi)
Atletico Madrid	2	5	0.45	0

Despite those numbers and the valuable away success, Simeone stressed that Atletico Madrid must stay cautious against Barcelona, especially because Barcelona have never recovered from a home first-leg defeat in a Champions League knockout tie, yet Atletico Madrid know Barcelona almost overturned a heavy deficit earlier this season.

"No, we are not in the semis, Simeone told reporters. We have the humility to say that they are very good, but we have all the commitment to continue in this competition. I like to prepare with an advantage, to be honest! It is a matter of common sense. After the 4-0, we already saw how well they responded at home. We imagine a difficult, complex match. We look at who we have ahead of us, and we know what we have to do to go through. "

Julian Alvarez broke the deadlock with a 25-yard free-kick into the top corner shortly after Pau Cubarsi’s dismissal, then substitute Alexander Sorloth finished a flowing second-half counter-attack to double Atletico Madrid’s lead and punish Barcelona, who now need a two-goal win away from home to keep their Champions League quarter-final hopes alive.

After the match, Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick focused on one refereeing incident in the Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid, arguing that Marc Pubill should have received a second yellow card and conceded a penalty for handling the ball after apparently not realising Juan Musso had already taken the goal-kick.

Simeone rejected that criticism and backed the officials’ decision regarding Atletico Madrid defender Marc Pubill in the Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona, arguing the situation was interpreted correctly on the pitch and pointing to the need for practicality when judging unusual moments inside a tense match.

"There has to be common sense. Did Marc receive a supposed pass to start the play? The referee interpreted it the same as Marc. "

The victory ended Simeone’s long wait for a Champions League win at Camp Nou with Atletico Madrid, whose last success there came under Pepe Murcia in February 2006; in 25 visits between those results, Atletico Madrid recorded eight draws and 17 defeats, while Simeone previously beat Barcelona at Montjuic during stadium renovation work.

"It wasn't just me, there are few coaches who have not won here, he said. We were forceful and I'm happy with the effort of the players. We changed many players in these years; it is not easy for them to adapt to what this club means. From a place of humility, we know we will have a difficult game at home. "

Barcelona 0-2 Atltico Madrid Barcelona are facing the prospect of a UEFA Champions League quarter-final exit following Wednesdays 2-0 home defeat to Atltico Madrid. pic.twitter.com/1Bmcto9DQk

Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) April 8, 2026

The second leg will see Atletico Madrid defend a 2-0 lead against Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-final, knowing previous statistics favour the team that wins the home first leg, yet Simeone’s repeated warnings suggest Atletico Madrid expect sustained pressure again from Barcelona when the tie resumes.