Atlético Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain take a big step toward qualification

Atlético Madrid avenged their domestic rival Barcelona with a valuable 2-0 win at the Camp Nou in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, moving significantly closer to a place in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain continued their title defence in style with an identical victory over Liverpool.

Atlético’s win restored balance for the Madrid side after a run of difficult encounters against Barcelona, having lost to them twice this season in La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

This time, however, Los Colchoneros imposed their style and capitalised on Barcelona being reduced to ten men, sealing the victory with two goals scored by Argentine Julián Álvarez before half-time and Norwegian Alexander Sørloth in the second half. The visitors gained a clear advantage after Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsí was sent off in the 44th minute following a strong challenge on Argentine Giuliano Simeone.

Barcelona started the match with attacking intent, led by England’s Marcus Rashford, who nearly opened the scoring early on, but his efforts came to nothing. The turning point came with Cubarsí’s red card, which allowed Álvarez to convert the resulting free-kick and give Atlético the lead. In the second half, German coach Hansi Flick attempted to restore balance by introducing Gavi and Fermín López, but the changes failed to alter the course of the game. Sørloth later doubled the advantage after finishing a well-delivered cross from Italian Matteo Ruggeri.

With this victory, Atlético ended Barcelona’s nine-match unbeaten run across all competitions, while Diego Simeone’s side returned to winning ways after a difficult spell that included defeats to Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Tottenham Hotspur.

Two vital goals for the holders

In Paris, PSG asserted their dominance over Liverpool with a deserved 2-0 victory, thanks to goals from Désiré Doué and Georgian star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The Parisian side controlled most phases of the match, displaying a strong performance built on possession and sustained attacking pressure.

Doué opened the scoring early with an individual effort and a powerful strike that beat Liverpool’s goalkeeper, before Kvaratskhelia doubled the lead with a superb finish following a skilful move inside the box.

Despite Liverpool’s attempts to get back into the game, The Reds failed to create any real threat, while Ousmane Dembélé came close to adding a third goal in the closing minutes, only to be denied by the post.

The return leg will take place on Tuesday at Anfield, where Liverpool will look to overturn the deficit, while PSG aim to confirm their superiority and book a semi-final spot against the winner of Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid.