Ademola Lookman celebrates
Atlético Madrid held off a spirited comeback from FC Barcelona to secure a place in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, progressing 3-2 on aggregate despite a 2-1 defeat in a dramatic second leg in Madrid.
Trailing 2-0 from the first leg, Barcelona made a flying start. Teen sensation Lamine Yamal pulled one back early, capitalising on a mistake by Clément Lenglet to slot past goalkeeper Juan Musso. Moments later, Ferran Torres levelled the tie on aggregate with a powerful finish from a Dani Olmo assist.
However, the momentum swung again when Marcos Llorente surged forward and set up Ademola Lookman, whose goal restored Atletico’s aggregate advantage.
Barcelona came close to completing the turnaround, with Fermín López denied by Musso, while a second goal from Torres was ruled out for offside after a VAR review. Their hopes suffered another blow when Eric García was sent off for fouling Alexander Sørloth.
Despite late pressure, including chances for Robert Lewandowski and Ronald Araújo, Barcelona fell short of a historic comeback.
Atletico manager Diego Simeone praised his team’s resilience, expressing excitement at reaching the semi-finals once again. The Spanish side will now face either Arsenal or Sporting CP as they chase a first final appearance since 2016.