"We must believe in miracles."
FC Barcelona lost 0-2 to Atlético Madrid in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals of the 2025-2026 season at Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain, on the 9th (Korea time).
The early momentum belonged to Barcelona. Marcus Rashford and Lamine Yamal troubled the flanks. In the 2nd minute of the first half, Rashford's right-footed shot was stopped by Juan Musso, and in the 3rd minute, he attempted another decisive shot after receiving a pass from Yamal. Musso blocked it with his legs. In the 14th minute of the first half, Rashford's volley also narrowly missed the goal.
Barcelona continued to press. In the 18th minute of the first half, Yamal completely opened up the right and linked to Rashford, who pushed it in to shake the net. It was ruled offside. In the 30th and 33rd minutes of the first half, Rashford and Gerard Martin fired shots in succession, but the goal did not open.
The flow completely reversed at the end of the first half. In the 42nd minute of the first half, Pau Cubarsi committed a foul while stopping Giuliano Simeone. The referee initially showed a yellow card. After video review, the decision was changed. Cubarsi was sent off.
They conceded immediately. In the 45th minute of the first half, Julián Álvarez curled a right-footed shot from a free kick just outside the penalty arc. The ball flew over Barcelona's wall and into the corner of the net. Camp Nou froze in an instant.
Despite being a man down, Barcelona did not give up. At the start of the second half, coach Hansi Flick took off Robert Lewandowski and Pedri and brought on Fermín López and Gavi. In the 50th minute of the second half, Rashford received a penetrating pass from Yamal and beat the goalkeeper. There was no angle. The shot hit the side netting.
In the 7th minute of the second half, Rashford took a direct free kick. A powerful shot headed for goal. Musso brushed it with his fingertips and sent it over the crossbar. In the 14th minute of the second half, Gavi's header did not reach Dani Olmo, and in the 34th minute of the second half, Yamal's shot was also stopped by Musso's save.
The difference in finishing decided the outcome. Atlético put the game beyond reach in the 25th minute of the second half through substitute Alexander Sørloth. Antoine Griezmann's one-touch pass and Mateo Lujer's one-touch cross followed. Sørloth rushed into the box and finished with a left-footed non-stop shot.
Barcelona pressed until the end. In the 40th minute of the second half, Yamal beat four players and created another shooting opportunity. Atlético's defense barely stopped it. In stoppage time of the second half, even Dani Olmo's shot went far wide. The match ended in Barcelona's 0-2 defeat.
After the match, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said, "We should have defended better on the first conceding play. After the sending-off, we conceded immediately from a free kick. We could and should have done better. Nevertheless, in both the first and second halves, even with one player fewer, I think we did well. We gave everything. Luck was not on our side today. It's not over yet. We will challenge again and fight until the end. Right now the semifinals may feel far away. Still, we will fight to get there."
He said, "Pedri had a slight physical issue. I substituted him because he is a player we will definitely need going forward. Gavi and Dani Olmo had fantastic games. We had a lot of possession. We just couldn't score. Lamine Yamal also had a really great game."
Coach Flick emphasized, "We have the ability and the players to turn this situation around. Of course we have to fight. We must believe in miracles. On the weekend we have a derby against Espanyol. Winning that match is important. Only then can we focus on next week's game."
About Lamine Yamal he said, "Of course he must be disappointed. Everyone is. Still, from the start to the end of the match he was fantastic in both attack and defense. He got past three, four, five players. It's amazing. To me, he is doing something truly remarkable. He is still 18. We need to reduce some of the noise around him."
He added, "He will become one of the greatest players in history. But the important thing is to support him. The reason fans come to the stadium is players like Lamine Yamal, Vinícius Júnior, and Pedri. That's what I think."
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