and Atletico Madrid at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain on Tuesday. (PTI)
Barcelona: Atletico Madrid were left to rue Fernando Torres’s first-half red card as Luis Suarez’s double handed Barcelona a 2-1 lead, heading into the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
Torres got Atletico off to the perfect start as he slotted home Koke’s through ball for a vital away goal on 25 minutes, but saw two quickfire yellow cards to leave his side a man short for over an hour.
A second-half onslaught from Barca ensued and Suarez turned the game on its head as he bundled home to equalise, before powering in a header for the winner 16 minutes from time.
The sides meet once more to decide who will progress to the semi-finals at Atletico’s Vicente Calderon on April 13.
Luis went even further by implying UEFA are scared to see Barcelona not reach the final.
“I don’t know what Barca players have to do to get sent off just like us,” Luis told.
“You can tell there is fear that Barca will be eliminated.”
Barca had been beaten for the first time in 39 games stretching back six months by Real Madrid on Saturday and were again far from their best as Atletico looked comfortable until Torres was given his marching orders 10 minutes before half-time.
Lionel Messi was looking for his 500th career goal for club and country, but was unusually wayward as he pulled a shot beyond the front post and then miscued wildly on the volley from Alba’s dangerous cross.
Atletico boss Diego Simeone had been brave in his search for an away goal by naming Yannick Carrasco alongside Torres and top-scorer Antoine Griezmann in attack.
And the Argentine was rewarded when Koke’s through ball exploited a huge gap in the Barca defence which Torres latched onto before rifling home his 11th goal in 17 games against Barca.
Griezmann was close to doubling the visitors’ lead moments later when only a brilliant save from Marc-Andre ter Stegen prevented the French international’s low effort from drifting in at the far post. (AFP)