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.”

-Reuters

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Arsenal substitute Kai Havertz scored a stoppage-time goal to snatch a 1-0 win at Sporting in the first leg of their ​Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday.

The German forward was found unmarked inside the box by Gabriel Martinelli before calmly slotting the ball ‌past goalkeeper Rui Silva to settle a tactical encounter.

After a first half in which Sporting’s Maxi Araujo and Arsenal’s Noni Madueke struck the woodwork, the visitors had a Martin Zubimendi effort disallowed before David Raya produced several late saves to deny the home side.

The deadlock was finally broken in added time by Havertz, who replaced the injured Martin Odegaard in ​the 70th minute, to secure the advantage before the return leg next week.

“Beautiful, and that’s the impact you need when you get to this ​stage of the season. Everybody has to make an impact, and they certainly did that tonight,” Arsenal manager Mikel ⁠Arteta told Amazon Prime regarding the winner.

“We had a goal disallowed, and there were two or three occasions where we were close but we lacked that ​final pass. In the end, a magic moment from the finishers wins us the game.”

The winners of the tie face Barcelona or Atletico Madrid, who play ​at the Nou Camp on Wednesday, in the semis.

ARSENAL REDEMPTION

Arsenal arrived in Lisbon seeking to bounce back from Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final exit at second-tier Southampton, and will be delighted with the win, but the sight of captain Odegaard limping off will concern Arteta.

The Norway midfielder appeared to struggle throughout the match, having recently returned from a long-term injury layoff.

The first ​half was a cagey affair, with the woodwork denying both sides an opening goal. Araujo came close for the hosts, seeing his powerful left-foot strike ​rebound off the post following a break into the box in the opening minutes.

However, Arsenal grew into the contest and nearly led through Madueke. The winger rose to meet ‌an outswinging ⁠corner, but his header clipped the bar with Silva beaten.

Despite the near misses, both teams struggled to find a consistent rhythm, with the tie remaining finely balanced heading into the second half.

Arsenal thought they had the breakthrough shortly after the hour when Zubimendi curled the ball into the net at the near post, but it was ruled out after a VAR review found former Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres to be offside in the build-up.

RAYA WINS PLAYER OF THE ​MATCH

With the hosts dominating the latter ​stages, Raya was forced into several ⁠crucial interventions, including a diving save to divert Geny Catamo’s low header behind for a corner, with the Spaniard’s performance earning the Player of the Match award.

“It’s something that I’m there for. I’m trying to help the team as ​much as possible in any single action, not just defending but commanding and on the ball,” Raya said.

The ​match seemed headed for ⁠a draw until a late lapse from the Sporting defence gave Havertz the space to control the ball and find a clinical finish to put Arsenal in the driving seat.

The result marks a return to winning ways for Arsenal following consecutive defeats, including their FA Cup exit and defeat by Manchester City in the League ⁠Cup final.

“We’ve come ​from two losses, learn from those moments, that pain when you lose a game” Raya ​added.

“Use that pain in the belly to go out there and express yourself, be yourself and try to be better every single day. That’s the main message we have to send out ​there.”

Premier League leaders Arsenal will try to keep up the momentum when they host Bournemouth on Saturday.

-Reuters

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Bayern Munich took control of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday with a 2-1 victory over ​Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, earning a slender first-leg advantage after a high-tempo contest in the Spanish capital.

Vincent Kompany’s side ‌struck just before halftime when Serge Gnabry slipped a precise pass through for Luis Diaz, who beat the offside trap and fired low past keeper Andriy Lunin in the 41st minute.

Bayern doubled their lead seconds after the restart as Michael Olise squared for Harry Kane to finish neatly from the edge of the box following a swift counter-attack.

Real improved after ​the hour and Kylian Mbappe pulled one back in the 74th minute, turning in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s low cross at the far post.

Manuel Neuer ​then denied Mbappe and Vinicius Jr with a series of sharp saves as the hosts pressed for an equaliser ⁠that never came, as Bayern headed home with a slender yet significant advantage.

The winners of the two-legged tie will face either Paris St Germain or Liverpool, ​who play their first leg on Wednesday, in the semi-finals.

“We came out for the second half and conceded a goal straight away. Both goals we conceded ​were gifts. Both sides had plenty of chances but Bayern’s best player today was Neuer. In the end, that’s how it goes,” Real Madrid defender Antonio Ruediger told Movistar Plus.

Bayern imposed themselves from the outset and went close to scoring in the ninth minute, only for Alvaro Carreras to produce a goal-line clearance to deny Dayot Upamecano from point-blank ​range after Real failed to clear their lines.

The visitors dominated possession in the first half, seeing more than 65% of the ball as Alvaro Arbeloa’s ​side dropped into a deep defensive block and looked to break on the counter.

Real nonetheless created chances. Vinicius forced a superb one-handed save from Neuer in the 17th minute, ‌the Bayern ⁠goalkeeper tipping away a low drive from the edge of the box at full stretch.

Mbappe squandered two openings soon after and was denied again in the 29th minute by an outstanding reflex save from Neuer.

Bayern made the breakthrough four minutes before the interval following a slick passing move. Kane and Gnabry exchanged quick passes before Gnabry slipped a perfectly weighted ball through the centre for Diaz, who slipped behind the defence and drilled a low finish inside ​the right post in the 41st minute.

The ​German side doubled their lead ⁠seconds after the restart. Carreras lost possession in midfield and Bayern countered swiftly as Kane, unmarked on the edge of the area, finished calmly just inside the right post.

It was Kane’s 49th goal of the season and his 11th ​in the Champions League.

Real responded with urgency. Vinicius burst clear after an error from Upamecano in the 60th ​minute but dragged his ⁠shot wide as Neuer rushed out to narrow the angle.

The goalkeeper then produced another fine one-handed save to deny Mbappe in the 65th minute and moments later watched the France forward pull an angled effort wide after clever play from Vinicius.

Mbappe pulled one back in the 74th minute, with the referee ruling the ball ⁠had crossed the ​line despite Neuer appearing to get a hand to the shot.

Neuer remained defiant, blocking a ​fierce strike from Vinicius in the 81st minute and holding an Eder Militao curler shortly afterwards, while Mbappe sent another effort narrowly wide in the 89th minute as Real poured forward.

Bayern wasted ​chances to extend their lead on the break but returned home with the advantage after a compelling first leg.

-Reuters

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