Atletico Madrid sent 10-man Barcelona crashing out of the Champions League and reached the semi-finals with a 3-2 aggregate victory despite Tuesday’s 2-1 quarter-final second leg defeat.
Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres fired visitors Barcelona ahead inside 24 minutes but Ademola Lookman’s strike gave Atletico the edge in the gripping all-Spanish tie once again after their 2-0 win in the first leg.
Diego Simeone’s side returned to the semi-finals for the first time since 2017 by holding on against the LaLiga champions in a compelling and bloody battle.
Barcelona defender Eric Garcia was sent off for bringing down Alexander Sorloth as he ran in on goal in the final stages, hampering their chances of finding a third goal to force extra-time.
Atletico, who have never won the competition and lost the 2014 and 2016 finals with Simeone at the helm, will face Arsenal or Sporting Lisbon in the semi-finals, while Barcelona last won the Champions League in 2015 and their wait for a sixth crown continues.
Meanwhile, Ousmane Dembele’s double guided Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) into the Champions League semi-finals as a 2-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday completed a 4-0 aggregate win for the holders.
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To compound the English champions’ woes, Hugo Ekitike suffered a serious-looking injury that could end his season and hinder Liverpool’s chances of being back among Europe’s elite next season.
Arne Slot’s men sit fifth in the Premier League and will end the campaign trophyless after being kept at arm’s reach by a PSG side that did not need to be at their brilliant best to reach a third consecutive semi-final.
Defeat means there will be no glorious goodbye for Mohamed Salah after nine memorable years on Merseyside.
Slot showed little sentiment as he dropped the Egyptian to the bench on his final Champions League appearance in red.
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