An intense and fiery UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg at Camp Nou ended with Atlético Madrid claiming a 2-0 victory over Barcelona, putting the visitors firmly in control ahead of the return leg.

Barcelona started brightly, with Marcus Rashford testing the goalkeeper twice inside the opening four minutes, showing the hosts’ early intent. Atlético quickly responded through Julián Álvarez, as both sides pushed forward relentlessly in a fast-paced opening spell.

Lamine Yamal thought he had set up Rashford for his 10th Champions League assist, but the move was ruled out due to an earlier offside decision.

Despite Barcelona dominating possession, Atlético remained unfazed, repeatedly threatening with runs in behind the high defensive line. They were also disciplined defensively, often dropping deep with numbers to frustrate the Catalan side.

Clear-cut chances were limited for both teams, but the game’s turning point came just before halftime when Pau Cubarsí was sent off for a professional foul, giving Atlético a crucial numerical advantage.

From the resulting free-kick, Álvarez produced a stunning, pinpoint finish that left the Camp Nou crowd stunned.

Despite being reduced to 10 men, Barcelona came out after the break with renewed intent, immediately putting Atlético under pressure. Marcus Rashford came close to scoring with their first move of the second half before rattling the crossbar with a powerful free-kick.

The hosts kept pushing forward, and Dani Olmo nearly brought them level, arriving at the far post but just failing to connect cleanly after a flick-on.

Atlético, meanwhile, offered very little going forward but remained compact and disciplined, repeatedly denying Barcelona despite the sustained pressure.

Then, against the run of play, the visitors struck decisively. A quick counter-attack ended with the ball reaching substitute Alexander Sørloth, who calmly guided a left-footed finish past the goalkeeper to double Atlético’s advantage.

Barcelona worked hard but lacked a cutting edge in the final third, as their 10-match unbeaten run in all competitions (W8, D1) came to an end.

For Atlético, it was a historic result — their first victory at Camp Nou since 2006 — putting them in a strong position to seal the tie at home and potentially complete a rare hat-trick of Champions League quarter-final triumphs over the Catalan giants.