BARCELONA, April 8 (Reuters) - Atletico Madrid took a firm grip on their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday as goals from Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth earned a 2-0 first-leg victory over 10-man Barcelona at the Camp Nou.
Barcelona dominated proceedings, but Atletico's rock-solid defence combined with swift counter-attacks paid off after Pau Cubarsi was sent off for hauling down Giuliano Simeone in the 42nd minute as the last man.
Alvarez brilliantly curled the resulting free kick from 25 metres into the top corner in first-half stoppage time to silence the sold-out Catalan stadium.
Marcus Rashford struck the crossbar from a free kick soon after halftime but Diego Simeone's side remained disciplined and doubled their lead in the 70th minute when Matteo Ruggeri crossed from the left and Sorloth volleyed in from close range, sealing a decisive away win that left Barca with a mountain to climb.
The winners of the two-legged tie will face either Arsenal or Sporting in the last four.
"We’re delighted with the win, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. The semi-final is still a long way off. We need to stay calm and confident, but keep our feet on the ground," Antoine Griezmann told Movistar Plus.
With captain Raphinha and Frenkie De Jong absent, Barca manager Hansi Flick handed Rashford a start. Pairing the former Manchester United forward with Robert Lewandowski and teenage winger Lamine Yamal, Rashford was lively down the left, constantly stretching the Atletico defence.
He volleyed narrowly wide in the 13th minute and thought he had given Barca the lead five minutes later, turning in Yamal’s low cross at the far post, but the celebrations were cut short when VAR ruled Yamal offside in the build-up.
Atletico were content to sit deep in a five-man defensive line, conceding possession but few clear chances. Yamal and Rashford probed persistently, targeting Ruggeri and Nahuel Molina out wide, though space in the final third was at a premium.
Simeone’s side remained dangerous on the break, with Alvarez and Ademola Lookman both wasting promising openings.
At the other end, Rashford forced a smart save from stand-in goalkeeper Juan Musso in the 29th minute before Yamal weaved past three defenders, only to see his shot blocked at close range.
The match turned late in the first half. In the 42nd minute, referee Istvan Kovacs sent off Cubarsi after a VAR review for hauling down Giuliano Simeone as he raced through on goal, upgrading an initial yellow card to red.
Atletico struck immediately from the resulting free kick, Alvarez curling a superb effort into the top right corner beyond the reach of goalkeeper Joan Garcia to stun the Camp Nou.
Barcelona tried to rally after the break but struggled to break down Atletico, who stuck rigidly to their disciplined game plan. The visitors doubled their lead in the 70th minute when Ruggeri combined with substitute Sorloth to finish clinically.
Atletico comfortably saw out the closing minutes to take a commanding advantage into the return leg.
"We tried, but it wasn't to be," Barca defender Ronald Araujo told Movistar Plus.
"We came out stronger in the second half despite being a man down; we had possession but couldn't find the net. We're disappointed with the defeat, but I think we can turn it around."
(Reporting by Fernando Kallas in Madrid; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Pritha Sarkar)
