Barcelona 0-2 Atletico Madrid: Alvarez and Sorloth Strike in First Leg

Barcelona 0-2 Atletico Madrid | UEFA Champions League Quarter-finals

Atletico Madrid earned a 2-0 away win over Barcelona in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final on April 8, 2026. The visitors struck late in the first half and again after the break to take control of the tie.

Barcelona's night became more difficult in the 44th minute when Pau Cubarsi was sent off. Atletico made the extra man count almost immediately. Julian Alvarez opened the scoring in the 45th minute, and the away side went into halftime with a 1-0 lead.

The second goal arrived in the 70th minute, when Alexander Sorloth finished a move created by Matteo Ruggeri to double Atletico's advantage. That left Barcelona needing a major response in the return leg.

The match also featured several bookings. Koke was cautioned in the 31st minute, Marc Pubill received a yellow card in first-half stoppage time, Alejandro Baena was booked in the 63rd minute, and Gavi saw yellow in the 65th minute.

Barcelona finished the game without a goal and with ten men, while Atletico Madrid left with a clean sheet, a two-goal win, and a strong position after the first meeting of the quarter-final.