Beaten 2-0 by Atlético, Barcelona effectively sabotaged themselves in a match they had seemed to control.
In the 43rd minute, Barça were dominating. Hansi Flick’s men were applying pressure, pinning Atlético deep in their own penalty area. But from a brilliant outlet led by Alvarez, Atlético found depth, with Simeone breaking through one-on-one before being pulled back by Pau Cubarsí.
Initially shown a yellow card, the referee reviewed the play via VAR. The nature of the foul—clearly denying a goal-scoring opportunity—led to a red card. Barcelona were down to ten men. The punishment didn’t stop there: moments later, Julián Alvarez delivered a stunning free kick to give Atlético a 1-0 lead.
It was the perfect scenario for the Colchoneros. Barcelona, now a man down, struggled to break through a united defensive block. Sørloth then capitalized on the numerical advantage, making it 2-0.
Nothing more was scored, but the job was done. A perfect result for Atlético and their coach Diego Simeone, who finally secured a win at Camp Nou.